A Love That Can Never Happen
by SuperWolf1967
Summary: Carly has been best friends with Kara since they were in 5th grade. She was the first to know Kara's secret and stayed by her side no matter the risk. The problem is Carly is madly in love with Kara and Kara has no idea. What makes matters worse is Carly is attacked by a space vampire, which adds a whole another problem to her plate. (Supergirl x Girl OC)
1. I Thought I Could Handle It

It was midnight and I couldn't fall asleep. I had been lying in bed for hours, just tossing and turning. I sat straight up and ran a hand through my matted hair. Fresh air was the only thing I needed. I got out of bed, put on my shoes, and grabbed a spring jacket because the nights could get cold.

I slid out of my apartment and headed toward the suburbs. National City could feel like a prison sometimes, especially when you're in the city of a superhero. Supergirl was amazing and we had been friends since we were in 5th grade. I was the first, aside from her family, to know her secret.

Since then we had been by each other's side through thick and thin. I was even allowed in the DEO as I was top of my class in Harvard for computer science. Brainy was a little smarter than me, but I was still useful. The only issue with going to work everyday was seeing Kara. You might think I'd be thrilled to say that, but I'm not, because I am madly in love with her.

She has no idea I like girls and no inkling that I like her especially. I have kept this secret since day one and I will most likely keep it forever. Kara got out of a relationship with Mon El less than a year ago and I am not about to make things more complicated. So I buried the feelings deep inside and pretended like everything was alright, when it was far from it.

I continued to walk until I found myself at a park on the other side of town. Inside the park was the pool I used to lifeguard at before I went to college. I decided to head into the park, just to get a glimpse of the pool after all these years. As I approached I noticed the front gate was open. Which was impossible as I knew it was always locked at the end of the day.

My gut told me to just turn around and go home. I had a feeling something was wrong. My gut was usually correct with this sort of thing, but I couldn't just leave knowing someone could be robbing the pool. I slowly walked through the gate and found the lock torn in two.

"What the…" I whispered to myself

Suddenly, I heard a loud bang come from the guard office. I sneaked over to the window and peered inside. A woman was messing up the guard room looking for something. She stopped mid action and turned around to make eye contact with me. It was only a second, but I knew she had seen me.

I quickly ducked down, but it was already too late. I peered back up to see the woman was gone. I stood up and turned to come face to face with the woman. There was no way she could have left that room without me seeing or hearing her. How did she get out?

The woman was only a few inches taller than I with long flowing brown hair, piercing green eyes, and skin paler than the moon. She was beautiful, but also terrifying. She looked at me like a predator does to prey and I began to shake.

"Who are you?" The woman asked. A smile playing on her lips with a thick Irish accent slipping through.

"I'm nobody. I was just taking a walk and noticed the gate was open." I quickly replied

"Why are you taking a walk so late at night?" She asked

"I couldn't sleep and I wanted some fresh air. I only came to see what was happening, but it looks like you're busy. I'll just let you get back to it. Sorry if I bothered you." I said, trying to slide past her. She let me get about a foot before she grabbed hold of my wrist.

"You didn't bother me, not in the slightest. I was looking for something, but I can get that another time." She said, pulling me closer. Our faces inches apart, "What's your name, Lass?"

Her eyes were so close to mine, I could see the specks of gold within the green of her iris. I could feel the cold radiating off her skin, causing me to shiver under the touch of her hand on my wrist. I almost didn't answer her question, but I found myself.

"My...n...name is Carly." I stuttered

The woman smiled at me. "Carly is a lovely name. It means little champion in gaelic. Are you a champion, Carly?"

"No not really. What about you?" I asked with fake confidence.

"Am I a champion?" The woman questioned as I nodded shakily. "Well, in some ways you could call me that. My name is Deirdre, which means fear in Irish."

I could feel the danger radiating off of her skin and my heart raced in my chest. I wanted to reach for my watch, but I stopped myself. I would only call if absolutely necessary. Besides, if Deirdre caught me, then my only salvation would be lost. My heart continued to race as Deirdre looked down at where my heart was with a smile.

She then took the hand not holding my wrist and placed her finger on my throat, tracing down to my heart. "I can hear your heart beating as if you were a rabbit. Thump tha-thump. Thump tha-thump."

"H...how can you hear my heart?" I questioned

Deirdre removed her hand from my chest and brushed the hair from my face, "I have excellent hearing, my dear. Many of my senses are extraordinary, but that is a story for another time. Are you afraid of me, Carly?"

"N...no. I'm not afraid." I stuttered

She laughed to herself as she grabbed the front of my shirt and slammed my back against the wall. Which had been ten feet from us a second beforehand. My eyes went wide as she lifted the wrist, she still held, into my point of view. "Are you sure about that? You seem quite afraid to me."

"What are you?" I asked

"Let's just say I'm a being with an acquired taste." Deirdre said as her sharp nail dug into the skin of my wrist. I gasped in pain as blood cascaded down. She stared at the blood as if nothing else mattered.

That's when it hit me like a freight train. The cold skin, heightened senses, super strength, and fascination with blood. She was a vampire and I was royally screwed. I could not outrun a vampire and I would never be able to fight her off. Kara could defeat her, but I needed an opportunity to press the alarm on my watch. If I didn't I was going to die.

"You're a vampire." I realized

She looked away from the blood and into my eyes with pride, "Indeed, I am. You know what that means then, don't you?"

"You're going to kill me." I said, trying to hide how scared I truly was. She didn't have to say anything for me to know I was right. If she let me go I was a liability who might tell on her. I knew I would lose, but letting her kill me seemed like a waste. So, I decided to run.

She began closing in on my wrist when I noticed a diving brick sitting on the window sill beside us. It was rubber, but it was also 10lbs. It might just distract her long enough for me to activate my watch. Deirdre began licking the blood dripping down my hand as I got a good grip on the brick. I counted to three in my head and slammed it into hers.

She let go of my arm and fell on her ass. I used this opportunity to activate my panic button. I tried to run for the exit, but she regained clarity faster than I expected. I was inches from the gate when I felt her grab the back of my shirt. One minute I am almost to the exit and the next I'm almost 30ft off the ground.  
"Holy shit!" I yelled as she pulled me into the air only by the back of my shirt. She flew us over to the top of the slides and dropped me about 10ft onto the deck, twisting my ankle.

I pulled myself onto my knees as she appeared in front of me, grabbing the front of my shirt, and slamming my back into the railing. We were at the top of the slides, which was at least 25ft off the ground. The stairs were in reach, but the gate at the bottom was locked, meaning I would have to climb over, slowing me down. There were also the two slides, but neither had water in them. I would have to run down the slides into the water, but that would also be slow.

"You can't escape me, Carly." Deirdre pointed out

I knew Kara would be here soon so I tried to stall. "Please, don't do this."

"You shouldn't have fought me. If you hadn't, then maybe I'd have let you live." Deirdre said as her eyes turned a blood red. She pulled me in close and whispered in my ear, "Don't worry, I've heard my bite gives quite the euphoria. Just enjoy it."

I looked around hoping Kara would tackle the vampire off me, but I knew she wouldn't make it. Kara was out of town for a CatCo conference. She would fly as fast as she could, but she wouldn't make it in time to save me.

"Let me...gaaaaaaa." I gasped as her fangs sunk into my neck.

It felt as if time stopped. It was painful just as her teeth pierced my skin, but after that it was pure bliss. Pleasure exploded throughout my body as if I was taking every drug all at once. I wanted to moan, but I wouldn't give her the satisfaction.

My arms flew up and clung to the back of her jacket, digging my nails deep into her flesh. Deirdre smiled against my neck as she sunk her teeth deeper. I gasped and felt my legs turning to jelly. My eyelids began to close and my arms fell to the side.

Deirdre lifted her mouth and gasped in pleasure. Her grip on my shirt was the only thing keeping me standing. She wiped the blood from her face as she dropped me onto the slide. There was water I hadn't noticed before that helped me glide into the 3ft deep water below. I hit the water head first and normally I would have just stood up, but I was so weak I couldn't even raise my head above the water.

I felt water entering my lungs as my vision began to blacken. At the point of passing out I felt Deirdre drag me from the water and onto the deck. She slammed a fist into my chest, causing my weak lungs to spit all the water out onto the ground. I barely had the strength to look at her as crouched beside me.

"Why did you pull me out?" I gasped

She looked down at me and for a second I thought I saw sadness in her green eyes. Yet that faded quickly, "I didn't want you to drown."

I looked at her with gritted teeth. "Yet you drained me of my blood."

"At least my way is pleasurable." Deirdre said, brushing a strand of wet hair from my face. "I didn't want this to happen. If you hadn't made me angry, I wouldn't have lost control. I never meant to hurt you. I was just going to scare you, maybe take some from your wrist and let you go. I'm sorry, but least you will fall asleep and be at peace."

That's when I heard the whooshing of her cape and a smile spread across my face. Deirdre heard the noise just as I did and looked down in confusion, "What did you do?

I laughed painfully, "I called a friend."

Suddenly, I looked over to see her boots land gracefully onto the cement. Deirdre tensed up, pulling me up to my weak injured feet and putting me into a chokehold. "Take one more step Supergirl and I will kill her."

Kara looked from me to Deirdre. "Let her go, Vampire. Or I will disintegrate you before you even move a muscle."

"If you disintegrate me, you'll disintegrate her. Do you want to kill, Carly?" Questioned Deirdre as Kara and I locked eyes.

I personally didn't want to die, but if it would kill Deirdre then I wasn't too sad about it. I looked at Kara and mouthed for her to do it. She shook her head and looked back to Deirdre, "I said let her go!"

Deirdre knew she wouldn't escape unless she made a distraction. So that is exactly what she did. She leaned down and whispered in my ear. "I'm sorry, but I can't be caught. Just know I never wanted this to happen."

She then quickly bit her wrist and slammed it against my mouth. I tried to keep my mouth shut, but I wasn't strong enough. My mouth opened and the iron liquid came crawling in.

"NO!" Kara yelled as she appeared in front of us. She grabbed Deirdre and backhanded her across the deck. When Deirdre's grasp disappeared, I fell onto the ground. Kara began walking toward the vampire, but she was already gone. With that situated, Kara ran back over and kneeled beside me. I lost consciousness and the last thing I remember is the wind in my hair and Kara yelling my name.


	2. Wait, Vampires Exist!

Kara carried me into the infirmary as Alex was examining another agent. When Alex saw my condition, she immediately ran over to us. I didn't have the strength to open my eyes, but my ears still worked extremely well. So I listened in on what they were saying.

Kara laid me on the cot closest to the door, which allowed Alex to notice the ragged bite in my throat. She looked from the bite into Kara's eyes, "What happened?"

"I'll explain later...just please...help her." Kara begged

Alex nodded and got to work. Now she was no doctor, but Alex knew a thing or two. She cleaned up my throat and bandaged the area. Once secure, she retrieved blood from the DEO's special supply. Luckily, my blood type is AB+, which means I am the universal recipient. Whatever blood type I receive, I'll be able to use without a horrid reaction.

She set up an IV with the blood bag and got me comfortable. She made sure I was stable and then she turned to Kara for answers. Luckily, Brainy just had to stop in at that very moment with the same questions.

"What happened?" Brainy asked with worry

Alex looked at Kara with her "tell me" look and Brainy glanced at Kara with a similar look in his eyes. Kara ran a hand through her hair and explained the situation, "I got an alert from Carly's alarm and when I got there she was being attacked. The being got away before I could bring them in, but what attacked Carly wasn't human."

"What were they?" Alex asked

Kara shook her head. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"I've seen a lot in my many years. I think I would believe anything." Brainy admitted

Kara sighed loudly and blurted out. "She was attacked by a...vampire."

Brainy and Alex looked at one another with Alex exclaiming both their thoughts. "Wait, vampires exist?!"

"Not as humans would know them." Kara explained, sighing with fatigue, "Vampires as you know them are actually vamtronians from the planet Skellcar. They feed on blood, whether it be human or alien. All your vampire myths are based on attacks from these beings. They don't care who they hurt as long as they get their next meal."

"So a vam...tronian attacked Carly?" Alex asked

"Yeah and an old one too. Vamtronians are usually grotesque in nature. Humanoid with deathly pale skin, dark eyes, bony limbs and a horrible odor. That is why vampires of old were described as they were. The older a vamtronian is, the more human they look. This one looked 100% human, which is why Carly had no idea what she was." Kara explained, glancing over at me with a sad look in her eyes.

"Can they turn others into vamtronians?" Brainy asked

Kara sighed and nodded her head, "Kind of. When a vamtronian drains a victim to almost death and then feeds them their blood they can become half vamtronian. They are still part human, just with your common vampire aspects. Sunlight burns, they will never die unless killed, and they need to drink blood. They even have super speed, strength, and heightened senses. They are the vampires you'd see in movies. Full vamtronians are similar except they can also fly, hypnotize, and sunlight doesn't burn them."

"How would you kill one?" Alex asked

"Ashwood stake to the heart or decapitation does the trick. Anything else will cause minimal damage and they'll heal almost instantly. If they are low on blood, a normal knife could cause a lot of damage, but they still wouldn't die." Kara explained

Brainy interjected. "How do you know so much of this species?"

"Vamtronians tried to attack my planet a long time ago. Yet they left soon after killing a few of us." Kara said, swallowing the spit in her throat. "They realized our power came from the sun, which filled our veins. One bite and they were drinking pure sunlight. Even though it doesn't normally kill them, the high quantity was too much for them and they would explode."

"Is Carly going to become one of those half vamtronians?" Alex asked as the three of them looked over at my mostly unconscious body.

"I don't know. It isn't a 100% turn rate. Sometimes a human can fight through the virus and come out unscathed. The vamtronian gave Carly her blood before she vanished. So we just have to hope she's strong enough to fight it off." Kara said

"And if she isn't?" Brainy asked

"Then we find a way to save her." Kara and Alex muttered at the same time.

"If she does turn and loses control..." He looked down at me with a frown, "Could she turn others into half vamtronians?"

"No and yes. When vamtronians feed most humans and aliens their blood, the being will become half vamtronian. If a half vamtronian tried to do the same, the victim would be healed of all their wounds, but would not turn as long as they didn't die with it in their system. Half vamtronian blood is weaker, so if the person were to die with it in their system they have enough to turn. Vamtronians don't need to kill the victim to turn them, halfs do." Kara explained

Alex looked toward Kara. "What do we do now?"

"I'll stay here with Carly until she wakes up. In the meantime you two talk to Lena. If Carly comes out turned, we need to try and find a way to reverse it." Kara ordered

Alex and Brainy went to contact Lena on the situation as Kara stayed by my side. I fell in and out of consciousness a few times before I finally had the strength to open my eyes. It was pitch black outside and the DEO was dead silent. I glanced around and felt a weight on my leg. I looked down to see Kara had fallen asleep on my lap.

She looked so beautiful with her hair strewn over her peaceful face. Lately, she's been so stressed with all the threats to the city. I haven't seen her take one break and I knew it was taking a toll on her. This was the first time she might have gotten some good sleep in a very long time.

That moment of bliss was short-lived as my body began to heat up, like I was lit aflame. My lungs couldn't carry oxygen as I gasped for air, which woke up sleeping beauty. She shot to her feet as I was writhing in agony. Suddenly everything around me turned grey and Kara's eyes went wide.

Alex ran into the room to see me seizuring, "What's going on in here?"

"Get out. Now!" Kara yelled as she tried to hold me down.

Yet something came over me and I lost all sense of control. I shot up and threw Kara across the room. I quickly got off the bed and looked toward Alex with dark eyes. Her own eyes went wide as she began backing up toward the door. I noticed her movement and used speed, I didn't even know I had, to appear in front of her.

I reached out to grab her, but Kara had gotten over to us and pulled me away from Alex. When I tried to go for Alex again, Kara grabbed hold of me and held me in a tight hug. I was struggling against her as I tried to fight the pain, but she never loosened her grip. She held me tight without a word. Next thing I know everything goes black.

When I woke up a few hours later, I was lying on a cot. I looked around to realize they had me transferred to one of the DEO's cells. Which is when everything I had done to Alex came rushing in. I knew what that meant and so did Kara who was sitting outside my cell.

"I turned, didn't I?" I questioned

Kara looked up from her feet and nodded. "You did, but we'll find a way to fix this. Alex and Brainy already had a conversation with Lena who will be coming to see you today. If anyone can fix this, it's her."

"I didn't mean to attack Alex." I said, running a hand through my hair. "I couldn't control myself. It was pure instinct, like I was some sort of animal. Is she okay?"

"She's a little shaken up, but Alex is fine." Kara said, noticing the look on my face. "This isn't your fault."

"How isn't it my fault?" I stood up and began to pace, "I went into the pool, knowing something was wrong. I didn't contact you until right before I was attacked. I let myself lose control and if you weren't there, I would have killed Alex. Seems like my fault to me."

"Why were you at the park so late anyway?" Kara asked with genuine question.

I sighed. "I needed fresh air and noticed the pool had been broken into. I should have just walked away or called you the minute I saw the broken lock."

"Why didn't you?"

"Because I wanted to check it out and I definitely didn't think a vamtronian would be rummaging through the lifeguard office. I wanted to handle it myself, but I knew from the start I wouldn't be able to. I'm such an idiot." I yelled, slamming my fist into the wall.

Where my fist made impact, a small dent had formed. I looked at it for a long moment and then sat on the cot once again. I had my head in my hands and I just wanted to cry.

"You heard what I said earlier?" Kara questioned

I ran my hand through my hair. "Yeah, every word. I'm a half vamptronian who can't go in the sun, die normally, or eat normal food. I am literally a monster from the stories of old."

"Carly, listen to me." Kara said, moving closer to the glass. "We will find the vamtronian who did this to you and make them pay. It's not your fault any of this has happened, okay? We will fix this."

"And if I can't be fixed?" I asked, looking up into her optimistic eyes.

"We'll find a way for you to control it."

"What if I don't want to be this monster?" I asked, my anger rising. "I can't go out in the sun or eat food. I am a bloodsucking freak. What happens if I lose control and next time you're not there to stop me? What if I kill Alex, Lena or even Brainy? What if I kill...you?"

"It won't come to that. I won't let that happen." Kara said with a smile. "Besides, you can't bite me, if you do you'll explode due to the sun in my veins. I am the only one you can be around that you won't want to kill. Which means I will be here every step of the way. I promise."

Suddenly one of the side doors opened, revealing the ever professional Lena Luthor. Lena and I weren't friends by any means, but we were friendly to each other. She strode up to the cell and looked toward me, "How long has she been like this?"

"She officially turned a few hours ago." Kara said, straightening up.

Kara had told Lena about her being Supergirl a few days ago and it was rough between them. You could tell Lena was hurt from how long Kara had lied to her, but at least as far as I could tell she was trying to forgive. Lena had been hurt countless times and so it was going to take time to heal. That's when Lena looked back toward me and made a decision that surprised Kara and I.

"I'm going to need to go in the cell to test Carly's reactions." Lena announced

"I don't know if that is the best idea. I almost killed Alex this morning. I don't really have this vampire thing all handled. Can't you test me from outside the glass?" I suggested

"I need to see what your symptoms are so I can figure out a way to treat this." Lena explained, turning toward Kara. "Can you hold onto her in case she begins losing control?"

"What do you plan to do?" Kara asked

"Just a few simple tests."

Kara reluctantly agreed and I didn't really have a choice in the matter. They came into the cell as Kara grabbed hold of my arms. Lena looked quite professional and I knew Lena, these tests weren't going to be simple.

Lena opened her notebook and clicked her pen. "Now what have you noticed so far about your condition?"

I thought about it for a moment and found my answer. "I'm very strong, fast, and I have heightened senses. I can't go in the sun, I am immortal until someone stakes or decapitates me and I thirst for bl...ood."

"How badly would you say you crave blood?" Lena asked, setting her clipboard on the cot.

"I...I don't know." I stuttered

"Hold her tight because I need to see how strongly she reacts." Lena ordered, pushing up her sleeve and pulling out a small dagger.

Kara began to oppose, but Lena already had the knife to her skin. She slid the knife across the skin of her forearm and the minute her blood hit air I completely lost it. My eyes turned dark, my fangs extended, and I fought against Kara like a screaming toddler would do.

Lena took a step forward and moved her arm around, my eyes following every movement. My mouth began to water as I stared at the crimson liquid rolling down her forearm. That's when she took gauze and wrapped the wound so I could allow myself to calm down.

"One last thing." Lena began as she pulled her sleeve back down. "I need a vial of your blood for examination."

Kara helped me take a few deep breaths so I could sit on the cot. I still felt the urge to latch my mouth onto Lena's bloody wrist, but now that it was covered and cleaned I had more control. What made me feel uneasy again was the fact that I am terrified of needles. So when Lena pulled out one of the biggest needles I've ever seen, I started shaking. Even as a vamtronian, I was a wimp.

Kara knew of my fear so she made me look at her the entire time. Telling me a story about her life on Krypton. She made sure I never looked away from her so when I felt the needle go in, she squeezed my hand with a smile. That beautiful smile. She was the only person to ever believe in me for anything, I just wish I could tell her the truth.

Once Lena got what she needed, she left the cell and began for the exit. Kara excused herself soon after and ran toward Lena. She caught Lena at the door and asked what had been on her mind the entire time.

"Do you think you can cure this?" Kara asked

"Honestly, I don't know. Dealing with a virus from outer space is much different than finding a cure for cancer. I will try my best to find something because I know she is your friend, but do not get your hopes up. I will get back to you within the week if I find anything. Until then keep her in the cell or around as few people as possible.

She can keep control as long as no one cuts themselves. Even without their blood in the open, Carly can most likely hear their beating hearts. From what I have read on the normal vampires, that alone can overwhelm them. Keep an eye on her until I figure this out." Lena explained

"Thank you, Lena."

She looked back toward me one last time before exiting the hall. Well, this was going to be interesting. I'm a half vamtronian and if Lena can't cure me, I will be stuck like this. Just fucking fantastic.


	3. Things Get Complicated

It had been 24 hours since Lena had come to see me and there was still no word on how to cure my condition. I decided the best course of action was to sleep the hours away and maybe when I awoke, I'd have my answer. I got comfortable, well as comfortable as you can get on a cot, and dozed off. Sadly the sweet bliss of sleep didn't last long.

I was strolling through a beautiful sunlit meadow when I could feel the presence of someone else. At this point Kara usually appears and we walk together, so when I turned around to see Deirdre my smile faded.

"Great, am I having a nightmare?" I asked myself

"This isn't a nightmare, I promise you. I got into your dreams when you fell asleep. Vamtronians can enter the dreams of those they are connected to." Deirdre explained

"Connected to?"

She sighed, "Those we have bitten or turned are connected to us. We can tell if they are hurt and where to find them. The dream thing comes in handy when we are separated by distance."

"So I'm like your pet then?" I sneered

"Look, Carly…" Deirdre took a few steps forward and I backed up just as many, "I never meant for any of this to happen."

"Really? Then why did you turn me then? Huh?! You could have just let me go because, maybe, I wouldn't have told Supergirl. I am not a monster or I wasn't before you came along. If you never meant this to happen then why did you do this to me?!" I screamed

Deirdre jumped at my raise of tone. Her strong exterior broke down and she looked like a scared little kid, "I was at the pool the other day looking for something my father desired. Then you came along and I freaked. I played up my confidence to scare you. If you hadn't hit me, I was planning to let you go or at least try. Your blood was very tempting, but I was controlling myself.

"Then you hit me and my anger got the best of me. I didn't know what was happening until we were at the top of the slides. I knew if I let you go then, you'd tell someone and I couldn't let my father down again." She explained

"Then why did you pull me out of that water and turn me?" I questioned

"I knew I already caused a mess and I wasn't going to just let you drown. I didn't want you to die in pain so I pulled you out. I was going to leave you, but then Supergirl arrived. I knew if I didn't make a distraction she'd catch me, so I had to feed you my blood. It was the only way I was going to get away." Deirdre explained

"So I was a means to an end for you then? A distraction?!" I yelled getting in her face.

She looked into my eyes with tears, "I never wanted to do this to you. I haven't fed on human blood in a very long time. You were an accident and I am so sorry it had to happen this way. You are actually the first person I have...ever turned."

"I'm your first? From what I have heard you are quite old. Only the old vamtronians look human. So I can't be your first." I said

"You're right, you aren't my first. Yet you are the only one to achieve the change." Deirdre said with sadness in her eyes.

"Did you try to turn someone and they stayed human?" I asked

"No, when it comes to the change there are three options. You turn, you remain human, or you die. Changing into a half vamtronian has a 60% chance, remaining human is 30%, and dying has only a 10% probability. Sadly, that 10% included someone I truly cared about."

"You're not lying are you?" I questioned

She shook her head, "No, I'm not. I couldn't lie to you even if I wanted to. One advantage to being connected is we can't lie to one another. Now you are about to wake up, so I don't have much time. Can you meet me somewhere so we can talk? I can explain everything if you give me the chance."

"I can't. I am locked up in a cell right now at the DEO." I said

"When you have the chance to leave, I will know. I will try to catch you alone so Supergirl doesn't listen in. I will explain everything, but for now I have to go. See you soon, Carly." Deirdre said

Suddenly I sat up with wide eyes and a raspy breath. I ran a hand through my hair and tried to calm my racing heart. When I got scared almost to death.

"Are you okay?" Brainy asked

I hadn't noticed him standing outside the cell so when his voice rang out I jumped and fell onto the floor. My heartbeat sped up and my body began to shake, "Jesus Christ, Brainy. You scared the hell out of me!"

Brainy looked at me with confusion, "My first name is not Jesus Christ and I am pretty sure hell does not reside inside of you where I could scare it out."

"It's just something people say Brainy, why are you standing out there?" I asked as I climbed back up onto the cot and leaned against the wall.

"While Lena is working on a cure for your condition, I thought we could see what all your powers and weaknesses are. If this cure does not end up working, we should make sure you know what you are capable of so you can control it later on." Brainy explained

"Does Kara and Alex know about this?" I asked

"Well...no." Said Brainy as he looked down and then back up with confidence, "But staying here will only make things worse. If you don't understand your powers and the cure is impossible, you might hurt someone. Wouldn't you like to know what you are able to do and not do?"

"Well, yeah…but aren't you worried I might try to drink your blood?" I asked

"I will be wearing armor so if you lose control, I will be fine. Shall we begin?" Brainy asked

"I guess." I said

He came up to the cell and unlocked the door. We walked side by side into one of the private training rooms and Brainy locked the door so we wouldn't be interrupted. Once locked, he got on his armor which covered every visible piece of skin so I had no chance of biting him. When he was battle ready, the lesson began.

The first thing was to test my strength. Brainy held out a cinderblock and told me to smash it with my fist. I was hesitant at first, but I got my courage and slammed my first into the cement; it snapping in half. When it hit the floor in two pieces I was surprised and at an awe that I did that. He stacked a few of them and asked me to try it again. We continued to do this until the stack was to my shoulder.

Then we tested speed. Brainy was quite the fighter so my goal was to avoid his advances by dodging. His hand began toward my face when everything went into slow mo. I moved out of the way of his hand and continued to do that for every attack he tried to convey. If I raced against the Flash I would still lose, but I could beat a human and most aliens.

That's when it came to senses. We tested my hearing, sight, taste, touch, and smell which all appeared to be heightened by a good amount. We tried a few other things as well and found out I could not hypnotize, turn into a bat, or fly; sadly.

"Alright, now for weaknesses. One of the main weaknesses Kara mentioned is sunlight. Shall we test how badly you react?" Brainy suggested

"What if I light on fire or something?" I asked

"I am prepared for that outcome." Brainy confided as he held up a fire extinguisher.

Brainy opened one of the windows and I hid in the dark. When he was ready I quickly stuck my hand in the light. The pain was instant as if I stuck my hand in a fire. When I looked at my hand I realized it was actually aflame so I pulled it from the light and Brainy put it out with the extinguisher.

As the flames went out, Kara strolled in with Alex. Neither of them looked happy. I began to explain, but Alex beat me to the punch.

"What the hell are doing?!" Alex yelled

"Brainy, you know the dangers. What were you thinking?" Kara accused

Brainy was about to explain himself, but I spoke first, "It's not Brainy's fault. He wanted to test my abilities so I knew what I was capable of in case the cure backfired. I agreed to it so it's not on him. Besides we know my speed, strength, and senses now. Plus how badly I burn in the sun."

When I said burn, Kara quickly made her way over to me so she could look at my hand. She was annoyed and worried, but she also knew Brainy was right. Knowing what I could do was smart and she couldn't deny that.

"Brainy, thanks for training with Carly. I wouldn't have thought of it." Kara admitted

"Yeah, your welcome. Have either of you gotten an answer from Lena yet?" Brainy asked

"No, but hopefully we will soon." Kara examined my hand and realized it wasn't healing. "Why don't you two go get back to work? I'll wrap Carly's hand."

Brainy and Alex agreed, leaving us to ourselves. Kara led me to the infirmary which was surprisingly empty for this time of day. I sat on a cot and Kara found some gauze in one of the cabinets.

"Aren't I supposed to have super healing? I asked

Kara began wrapping my hand and spoke without looking up, "You're supposed to, but you have no blood in your system. No blood means you can't heal. Once you feed, your strength, speed, and senses will be even stronger. Lena told me over the phone to keep you from feeding until she figures out the cure because you haven't fully transitioned."

"Transitioned?" I questioned

"Once you feed on fresh human blood the vamtronian transition will be complete and you will be a half vamtronian. Right now you are in between human and vamtronian and until you feed it will stay that way. From what she has found out once you transition it might be impossible to cure you." Kara explained

"Are you guys talking again?" I asked

Kara finished wrapping my hand and bit her lip, "Kind of. Ever since I told her she has been distant. I am surprised she is talking to me at all. After lying to her for so long I am surprised she can even look at me. She is helping you because she knows your innocent, if it weren't for you I don't know if she'd even talk to me."

"Kara…" I said grabbing her hand and squeezing, "You two will make up. She understands why you lied and at first it will hurt, but she will forgive. I hope she does at least, Lena is stubborn."

"You got that right." Kara said with a smile.

Then silence ensued and we sat there for a few moments saying nothing. Then Kara took a deep breath and looked up at me, "Would you like to go to a party tonight?"

I looked at her surprised and confused, "I thought I wasn't supposed to be around a lot of people. What if I lose control?"

"No need to worry. Brainy, Alex, J'onn, James, and I will be there. If you begin to freak out one of us will take you back, but you can't just stay here forever. You have been stuck in that cell for two days and I know you're getting jumpy. Besides, I am receiving an award tonight." Kara explained

"Kara or Supergirl?" I asked

"Kara. I am receiving an award for my work at CatCo. Since you are my best friend, I would love you to be there. Will you come?" Kara asked

"I would love to." I said with a smile.

* * *

Kara brought me a dress from my apartment and I was given the bathroom to change with a guard outside. Once ready, I went to meet up with the group at the front of the building. When I arrived, everyone was dressed and ready, except Kara was missing. The limo arrived and everyone began filing in; that's when I heard the footsteps.

I turned around and my chin almost hit the ground. Kara was approaching in the most beautiful red dress I had ever seen on her. She looked like a star in the sky and I was starstruck. I shook my head and closed my mouth before Kara could notice and she approached the vehicle.

"Kara, you look...stunning." I said trying to hide how shaky I suddenly felt. The butterflies in my stomach were off the charts and I could barely hear anything over my racing heart.

"You don't look too bad yourself. Shall we go?" Kara said

"Yeah...let's go." I quickly said

The ride was quiet and smooth. We all enjoyed the amenities until we arrived at the door. Once inside there were h'orderves, wine, and lots of small talk. Everyone split up to catch up with friends and Brainy pulled Kara off to discuss something. I decided the best course of action for me was to sit at a table in the back while picking at food that I was never going to eat.

I was never a very social person and tonight even more so. I could hear every heartbeat in the room and it was overwhelming. I wanted to leave and go back to the silence of the DEO, but I wanted to be here for Kara more. She deserved this award and I wasn't about to ruin it by leaving. Suddenly the room quieted and Lena came onto the stage.

Kara's eyes went as wide as mine did. She looked back at me with surprise and I looked back at her with the same look. Lena introduced Kara as this hero who always told the truth. Lena, Kara, and I all knew that was a lie, but Lena didn't want to drag their baggage out into the public. So Kara began crying as Lena did.

Kara came onto the stage and the two hugged as the crowd clapped. From where I was sitting it looked like they had made up and I really hope that was the case. Kara never wanted to hurt Lena and I just hope Lena could understand that. The two stepped off the stage as a wormhole appeared above it. A woman dropped onto the stage and she looked pissed.

The crowd began to disperse as the woman shot a beam of energy into the crowd. J'onn nodded toward Kara as he transformed and lunged at the girl. The two began to fight as they flew through a hole they made in the ceiling. Brainy, James, and Alex ran after them and Kara slipped into another room.

I followed after her and made it just in time to see her new suit materialize around her. She finally got pants, which is something she had always wanted. Before I could talk to her she flew out one of the open windows. Everyone had left to deal with the threat, but I was still at the party. I knew I had powers and I was going to use them.

I headed for the exit when someone grabbed my arm, pulling me into another room. When I turned to see the owner of the hand, Lena was standing there. I began for the door, but Lena jumped in front of me.

"Lena, what are you doing?" I asked

"Don't go with Kara." Lena warned

"But I have all these abilities now...I could…" I began

Lena grabbed my hand so I would look at her, "I have been researching this change and the more you wear yourself out the stronger the need for blood will be. Right now it's like a dull ache, but you will become weaker. The more you use your power, the sooner you'll need blood. I am close to cracking the cure, but not close enough. Do not involve yourself."

"I can't just sit by when I can do something." I whined

"Carly, I know you want to help, but you will cause more harm than good. Please promise me you will stay out of it. I know we aren't close, but I care about you. I don't want you to lose control and kill someone so please listen to me. Do. Not. Follow. Kara. She and the others can handle it. Go back to the DEO and I will find a way to fix this." Lena begged

I wanted to fight against what Lena had said, but we both knew she was right. I reluctantly nodded and Lena went back into the party to deal with the crowd. I sat there for a moment, took a deep breath, and headed outside. I began my trek to the DEO when I heard footsteps behind me. I turned around to find no one there.

I continued walking and I heard the footsteps again. I turned around and again there was no one there. When the footsteps happened a third time I used my speed to grab the person responsible, which so happened to be Deirdre.

"If you wanted to meet up with me, just appear in front of me or something. Why the hell did you sneak up behind me like some mugger?" I asked

Deirdre looked down and noticed my wrapped hand. When I saw her noticing I let go of her shirt and took a step back. That's when she asked about it, "What happened to your hand?"

I began to turn away when she grabbed my wrapped hand. I sighed in pain as I turned back to look at her, "Let go."

"What happened?" Deirdre asked again

"I wanted to test how badly I reacted to sunlight. It'll heal." I said

"You know it won't. Not until you have…" Began Deirdre

"I am not drinking blood." I said ripping my hand from her grasp, "My friends are trying to find a cure right now and I will hold out until they do. Then maybe...I can be human again."

"A cure is impossible." Deirdre said

"You don't know my friends." I said as I began walking again. I could sense she didn't follow so I continued to walk. That is until she yelled.

"Please, we need to talk." Begged Deirdre

"Come to me in my dreams and I will listen, but I am not going anywhere alone with you. See you tonight, Deirdre." I said

I shoved my hands in my pockets and continued walking. I turned around about a block down and Deirdre was gone. I shoved my hands in my pockets, took a deep breath, and continued my walk. I really hope this cure was possible because if not, things are going to get so much worse.


	4. Deirdre's Story

When I returned to the DEO I was escorted back to my cell and stuck to wait out the news. I began to doze off and after struggling to keep my eyes open for a long while I let myself fall asleep. This time I was on Kara's couch; my favorite spot.

We watched hundreds of movies on this couch, sitting so close I could feel the heat of her skin. Sometimes she would even fall asleep on my shoulder with such a look of peace it made my heart skip a beat. Whenever I fell asleep I usually dreamt of her; fantasies you could say.

I wanted to tell her how I truly felt, but with everything going on and how long I have held this secret, it just never seemed like the right time. Again I felt a presence and again it sadly wasn't Kara. I looked over to Deirdre and offered her to sit. She nodded smally and took a seat across from me.

"So, you wanted to talk. Let's talk." I said

"What do you want to know?" Questioned Deirdre

"So I know vamtronians have super speed, strength, and senses. What else can you do and what else can I do?" I asked

Deirdre leaned forward on the couch, "Neither half or full vamtronian's can have our memories erased, it's just how our brains are wired. Alongside that we can fly, hypnotize people, and sunlight has no effect. Sadly half vamtronians can't fly, hypnotize or set foot in the sun."

"So sunlight can hurt me, but not you. What about other weaknesses? Do we have similar ones?" I asked

"Aside from sunlight our weaknesses are identical. We both can be killed by decapitation, fire, or an ashwood stake to the heart." Deirdre explained

"So no normal stake would work?" I asked

"No, only ashwood. The properties of the wood are poisonous to us. A stake made of ashwood shoved into a half or full vamtronian heart will kill them instantly." Deirdre admitted

"So as long as I don't get decapitated, stabbed with a ashwood stake or burned alive I will live forever?" I asked with curiosity

Deirdre nodded and crossed her arms over her chest, "Yeah, you will. Once you transition, you'll never grow old, never get sick, and never die. Right now you are in a middle state so you still grow and heal like a human would. Plus the more you wear yourself out the more that bloodlust is gonna grow."

"If I transition, what would this bloodlust be like? Would I feed everyday? Would I have to kill?" I asked with a shaky voice.

"Bloodlust is like a hunger you can never sate. It is always gnawing at your insides wanting you to turn full beast. You will crave blood once or twice a week, nothing like the movies where its every night, If you are healthy that is. If you're hurt...well...that's a different story. Your lust for blood will get so much worse, so bad you might even attack someone. Once you become a full vamtronian it is much easier to control." Deirdre explained

"That's possible?" I exclaimed

"It's possible." Deirdre bit her lip and exhaled loudly. "You are transitioning into a half human half vamtronian. To become a full vamtronian, you either be born into it or you kill. Your first kill will bring you across, killing your human side. A life for a life, whether that be human or alien. Once you have lived for over a hundred years then you can drink the blood of our kind as well, but young ones always get sick if they try."

"I would never kill anyone." I said with conviction.

Deirdre grimaced. "Eventually, you will. At one point you will lose control and you won't be able to stop yourself. You'll give into the bloodlust and it will consume you. Sometimes the bloodlust can be so powerful, you can't think with reason. That is why I try my best to feed on animals instead of humans."

"Is animal blood just as good as human blood?" I asked

"It's much duller, but it keeps me alive. It is quite disgusting, honestly, but I would rather choke down that then take someone from their family. Not since I lost him." Deirdre said with a sad look in her eyes.

"You mentioned that you have tried to turn someone before me. Who was that special someone you tried to turn?" I questioned

"Why I don't I just show you?"

Suddenly the scenery changed to something completely different. We were in a small hut that, from what I could see out the window, was in the middle of nowhere. It was all made of rotting wood with furniture in the same condition. What concerned me was the dirt outside was blood red and the sky was a similar rust color.

"How...where are we?" I asked with wide eyes

Deirdre walked over to the table and wiped her finger across it, wiping the dust from the surface, "When connected through dreams we can both control the environment and we are on Vamtronious; my planet. All vamtronians are born here and live most of their lives here. Once we grow to almost 200 we are allowed to leave the planet in search of a new home with fresh blood."

"Why are we here?"

"You wanted to see who I failed to save." Said Deirdre as the door slammed open.

Deirdre walked over to me as two dark figures stumbled into the room; a man and a woman. The woman laid the man on the floor and ran to get water from the rusted sink. I could smell his blood from here and I knew from the darkening of his clothes he was seriously injured.

The woman ran back to him and lifted his head so he could drink from the glass. Once empty, she set him back down and removed her hood, revealing it to be Deirdre. I looked over the Deirdre standing beside me about to ask questions, but she shushed me. I shook it off and looked back over at the two when the man's gruff voice rang out.

"Leave me, Deirdre. I will only slow you down." The man gasped

"I am not leaving you, Cillian (kill-ee-an). We are getting on that ship together." Deirdre cried

He grabbed her hand and squeezed tight, "You know I can't be moved. I won't make it to the ship, not in this condition and we both know it. I'm dying, Deirdre."

"This is all my fault. I should have run away with you weeks ago when you first suggested leaving, maybe then you wouldn't be in this situation. If I had just been strong and stood up to my father, his blade wouldn't have pierced your chest." Deirdre cried

"Deirdre, look at me." Cillian placed a hand on her face so she would look at him, "This is not your fault. Even if we had run away your father would have fun us. The minute he found out you fell in love with a human, you knew he was never gonna let us get away."

"Wait, isn't this like 200 years ago? How the hell did a human get to Vamtronius?" I whispered to the current Deirdre

"We used to kidnap hoards of humans to bring to Vamtronius. That's why people would just go missing long ago. We would bring them to the planet so the young would have food. A blood farm of sorts." Deirdre explained

"So, Cillian was supposed to be your food and instead you fell in love with him?" I questioned

"Yes. Each vamtronian was usually given a human for their blood. Cillian was given to me, but I had never been like other vamtronians. I hated hurting people and the minute I saw Cillian I knew I couldn't hurt him. Sadly, my father didn't approve and attacked him to spite me." Deirdre explained

We both looked from each other back to the scene before us. Cillian's bleeding had worsened and both of their faces were wet with tears. Cillian grabbed Deirdre's hand and looked up at her with pleading eyes.

"Deirdre, drink my blood." Cillian begged

"I ca...can't. I won't. I…"

"I am dying anyway. Let my blood heal your wounds. I know you were hurt by your father's men when you pulled me out. I know you are weak and need blood so you can get to that ship and escape. Let me help you." Cillian pleaded

"What if I turn you and we run off together?" Deirdre suggested  
Cillian shook his head, "You know there is a chance I stay human or even die. Just take my blood and run. I won't slow you down."

"Even if there is a small chance you turn I am taking it. I love you, Cillian." Deirdre cried

"I love you too." Cillian whispered

Deirdre tilted Cillian's head to the side to reveal more of his neck. She hesitated and moved her mouth over his so they could kiss one last time. As they kissed Deirdre's tears hit his cheek and combined with his own. When she pulled back, Cillian nodded with confidence.

She leaned back toward his throat and sank her fangs deep into his jugular. He gasped at first and then quiet moans left his mouth. One of her hands found his and they clasped fingers. As she drank her sobbing continued to get louder.

When Deirdre had gotten him to the brink of death, she lifted her mouth without ever letting go of his still clasped hand. She brought her other wrist to her mouth and bit hard. When the blood flowed she placed her arm against his mouth. He swallowed weakly and then passed out.

Once he was unconscious Deirdre laid beside him on the floor, still clinging to his hand. As she got comfortable the two vanished and we were back in Kara's apartment. I looked over at Deirdre now who had silent tears streaming down her cheeks. I had wet eyes just as she did.

"He never woke up did he?" I admitted the obvious

"No, he didn't. I waited hours by his side to hopefully see those green eyes open to look at me, but they never did. My father caught me soon after and took his body from me. I never got to bury him properly and I feel that pain everyday. I've been stuck by my father's side ever since. I only turned you because I couldn't fail him again." Deirdre explained

"Why in the hell would you stay by the man who killed your true love?" I asked

"Where else could I go? I have no siblings and my mother was long dead. Without Cillian I felt empty and making my father happy was all I had left. I never wanted this life and I wish I had died next to Cillian that night 200 years ago. I promised after that night I would never get close to humans and I would never try to turn another one. Yet here I am with you." Deirdre admitted

"Why don't you stand up to your father?" I questioned

She looked over at me like I was crazy, "Stand up to my father? That is impossible. He is like Lex Luthor to Superman. He is an evil man and he has a lot of people working for him. I make one move he'll kill me and he'll kill anyone I give a damn about, including you."

"Does he know that you turned me?" I asked with alarm

"No, but if I attack he'll get the information from my mind. His second in command is a mind reader who can get through the toughest of mental barriers. If I failed, he'd get into my mind and find you. I won't risk your life when I have already screwed it up enough." Deirdre admitted

"How come the DEO hasn't heard about this vamtronian gang?" I questioned

She sighed and ran a hand through her hair, "They are well hidden. The group feeds on low lifes and makes sure their crimes have no trail. My father makes sure he stays invisible and has been doing so for hundreds of years. There is no way to fight against him."

"Why don't you just run away?" I asked

"Don't you think I have tried? Whenever I run he lets me get away for a few months max before he finds me and brings me home. If had made any friends he drains them dry in front of me so I learn my lesson. He can even drink the blood of half vamtronians as he is one of the elders." Deirdre explained

"Why don't I tell Supergirl and she can help you take him down?" I suggested

"No, don't involve Supergirl. She will make matters worse." Deirdre quickly blurted out.

"What did your father want you to find at the pool the other day?" I asked

Deirdre hesitated with her answer, but when she saw my honest interest and care she told me, "He wanted me to collect a piece of equipment that someone had hidden in the guard office. His client paid him a pretty penny to find it and in turn I went to collect."

"Who was his client?" I asked

"Andrea Rojas."

"As in the woman who owns Obsidian Tech contact lenses?" I asked with surprise.

"Yeah, you know her?" Deirdre asked

"She just took over CatCo from a friend of mine." I sat there in thought. "What could she be doing with parts from vamtronians?"

"I don't know, but she isn't working alone. She has a partner. Lena Luthor if I am not mistaken." Deirdre admitted

"Ah, hell…"


	5. I Need Proof

How could Lena be working for the bad guys? How was I going to tell Kara? They just made up and are talking again, I couldn't ruin that for her. Maybe Lena was working with Andrea, but didn't know about the vamtronians. But what if she did? I thought Lena had turned a new leaf, to become a better person. If she is doing this, she'd be just like Lex.

Deirdre noticed how quiet I had gotten and tried to smooth things out, "I saw you talking to Lena at the party, are you friends with her?"

"Sort of. She is better friends with my best friend. Does Lena know about the vamtronians working for Andrea?" I quickly asked

"Honestly, I think so." Deirdre admitted as my face sank, "I saw the two talking with my father a few nights ago. My father has been getting tech for Andrea for months now, Lena only came into the picture a few weeks ago. So if Lena is working with her now, it wasn't always that way."

"Do you have any solid evidence? Like pictures or paperwork?" I asked

She shook her head sadly, "No, it would have been obvious and questions would be asked as to why I was doing such a thing. If you want proof, you're going to have to get it yourself. I can however find out what Andrea is trying to do with the tech and report back to you if I find anything."

"You would do that for me?" I asked with surprise.

"Well, I messed with your life. If I can make penance, I will. Besides getting back at my father, even a little bit, brings a smile to my face. Just don't do anything stupid. Lena might be your friend, but if she is doing something dastardly, your friendship might not save you." Deirdre warned as she grabbed my hand, "Please, be careful."

"Wait, Lena was supposed to try and cure me." I blurted out as Deirdre's eyes went wide, "You don't think she lied about that, do you?"

Deirdre moved forward on the couch so she could look me straight in the eyes, "From everything I have looked into, there is no cure. Now Lena is smart so there is a chance she finds one, but if she is working with my father, she most likely has other motives. Do not take any cure she provides until you know for sure she isn't in the wrong."

"How long do I have before I have to feed? Where I either feed or take the cure?" I asked

"Four days...maybe five. If you wear yourself out, it could be as soon as two. Don't use your powers unless you absolutely have to. Find out if she is innocent as soon as you possibly can before you run out of time. If it comes to the end and the cure is not an option, I will help you get the blood you need." Deirdre explained

"Alright, I will talk to you tomorrow night. We can meet in our dreams as we have been and then we can talk of what we've found. Until then be careful and find out as much as you can." I planned

"Same goes to you." Deirdre said with a smile.

My eyes shot open to see the bland white ceiling of my cell. When I sat up, Kara was outside the cell. She noticed me sitting up and got closer. From the look in her eyes, which I knew well, she had news.

"Did you catch the evil blackhole girl?" I asked groggily

"Yeah, Midnight is back in the Phantom Zone where she belongs." Kara paused to adjust her chair, "But that is not important, are you okay? You have been asleep for over a day."

I was about to speak when I really heard what she just said, "I was asleep for an entire day? What...how? Did I miss anything important?"

"With everything going on within you, I wouldn't be surprised that you slept for so long. Besides, you didn't miss that much. Except that we dealt with a tattoo that can come to life and kill people. Which one of my coworkers at CatCo is somehow involved with." Kara explained

"Sounds like a lot to me. Do you have any leads?" I asked

"No, none at all. I am however going to see if Lena can help us because J'onn's brother is also in this somehow and he is causing chaos. She might be able to help Brainy with his tech so we can put Malefic back in the Phantom Zone." Kara admitted

"You're going to see Lena?" I asked

"Yeah, she has intellect that can match Brainy's. She might be able to handle him." Kara said

Now that my four days had turned to three, I didn't have time to waste. If Kara was going to Lena's then getting in would be easier than I thought, "Could I come with you to...Lena's?"

"Why do you want to come?" Kara asked with confusion

"I have never been to Lena's office. You two could talk about the tech and I could wait in her office. The fresh air would do me good and maybe you two can talk more about how the cure is coming along when we are there. Besides, I will be around no humans so there shouldn't be any worries about leaving me alone." I suggested

"I got scolded for last night, I don't know if it's such a good idea." Kara wavered

This was my only shot and I was not going to waste it. I leaned closer and placed my palm against the glass. Kara placed her hand on top of mine through the three inch thick barrier, "Kara, you know me. I might be turning into a monster, but I am not there yet. I would never hurt someone if I have the will to stop. Do you trust me?"

"Of course, I trust you." Kara said with no hesitation.

"Then let me come." I said

A few hours later I found myself walking beside Kara into the front doors of L Corp. I should have told Kara the real reason I wanted to come along, but if I had, she wouldn't have let me come. I needed proof before I told her anything. If I found proof...then I would tell Kara. I didn't want to ruin their mending relationship unless I had no other choice.

We took the elevator to the top floor and met Lena at her office. Kara explained why we were there and Lena suggested we walk and talk. I mentioned how I just wanted the fresh air and Lena agreed to allow me to stay in the office. The two walked off as the door closed behind them.

Once I knew the coast was clear, I searched through every drawer in the room. When that came up empty, I began looking for secret compartments and doors. I even tipped each book just to see if a door would open.

When I was nearing the end of my search, I felt a lump behind one of Lena's giant paintings. I gently set the painting on the floor and found a safe imbedded in the wall. The thing was high tech and very expensive.

I tried to break in by listening to the clicks, but the safe didn't budge. So, I instead broke the door off. She would know, but at least by the time she found out I wouldn't be in the building anymore. I set the door on the floor and found money, important papers, and other business junk. What was interesting was a folder underneath all of that labeled Project Non Nocere.

When I was about to read the file I heard a voice come out of nowhere, "That is not yours to touch, Carly Carisle."

I looked around and saw no one. I quickly took pictures of the pages so I could look at them later. I placed the folder back in the safe while replacing the door and painting. The voice repeated what it said before and I noticed a glowing box on the counter.

"Are you the one talking?" I asked mostly to myself.

"I am and you shouldn't be touching Ms. Luthor's belongings." The voice warned

"Well, I was just curious. No harm in curiosity, right?" I said as the box did not respond. I looked at it for a long moment and decided to keep the conversation going, "What is your name?"

"I am Hope."

I sat at the bar and looked down at the glowing box, "Hope, you were created by Lena and you know everything about her right?"

"Indeed." Hope responded

"If I ask you something, would you keep it private from Lena?" I asked

"I am not programmed to lie, but I can delete the search if you ask me to do so." Hope admitted

I knew asking Lena's own AI was not the smartest move, but If I could find anything then I'd have my proof. Even if Lena catches me, I might have enough time to tell Kara, "Hope, what is Lena doing with Andrea Rojas?"

Hope responded with a chirp, "They are business partners. Lena sold Catco to Andrea and Lena is an investor in Andrea's Obsidian tech contact lenses."

"Does Lena know about Andrea working with vamtronians?" I asked

"Of course, she does. It was Lena's idea." Hope explained

She knew about the vamtronians. She knew about everything. She was working with Andrea, but for what purpose? If it was just for entertainment, they wouldn't need alien tech.

"Why does Lena and Andrea need the tech from the vamtronians?" I asked

Hope chirped up, "The tech is to make the contacts more advanced. Everything was fine until Andrea took Lena's lenses from her. Lena has considered making her own version of the lenses since then."

"Why did Andrea take her lenses away?" I asked

"Ms. Luthor plans to use Andrea's contacts for more than just entertainment. Andrea saw what she was trying to do and cut her off, but that won't stop Ms. Luther. She wants to fix human and alien kind alike. Project Non Nocere will achieve that goal." Hope explained

"What do you mean fix?" I questioned

Before Hope could answer, I heard footsteps approaching. I told Hope to delete the search and as she did, I made it look like I had never moved. I had enough time to sit on the couch and pour myself a glass of wine as Lena and Kara came back into the room.

"Were you bored waiting?" Lena asked with a smile.

"No, it was fine. The view from up here is incredible, besides you had wine." I said as I lifted the glass to my mouth.

"The cure should be ready in mere hours. Would you two like to stay for dinner? We could eat and catch up, then when the cure is ready I can give it to Carly right away." Lena suggested

I noticed Kara began to say yes, but I couldn't take it today. I needed to talk to Deirdre tonight before things went down, "That would be lovely, but I am just not feeling the best. I want to get rest before I take the cure. Could we come back tomorrow?"

"Well, I will be working on an article tomorrow afternoon, but Carly could come back tomorrow on her own. Is that okay with you guys?" Kara asked

"Yeah, I can do that." I said with a smile

"Of course, I will see you tomorrow then." Lena said

I chugged the rest of my wine and I got up off the couch. We hugged Lena goodbye and headed for Kara's car. As the door closed, Lena's smile faded and she headed over to Hope.

"Are you going to tell them you never planned to cure Carly?" Hope asked

"No, they will find out when Carly doesn't return home. She heals at an extraordinary rate, which means I can test on her as many times as I like. Any vamtronian would work, but Carly would just make my revenge sweeter." Lena explained as she got back to the point at hand, "What did Carly do while Kara and I were out?"

"She asked about your work with the vamtronians and Andrea Rojas. She knows you plan to fix humans and aliens alike, but not exactly how you plan to do it. She also got into your safe and took pictures of the entire Project Non Nocere file." Hope explained

Lena's anger boiled over and she took one of her glasses and threw it at the wall. The glass shattered all over the floor as she leaned against the counter, "How did she suspect me?!"

Hope chirped up, "I do not know, but someone told her of your work with the vamtronians. I am guessing the one her turned her told her."

"We need to get a handle on this. I can't let Kara know what my plan is. Not yet. I need more time." Lena ran a hand through her hair.

"Will you bring Carly in sooner than planned? Or will you kill her as things are now complicated?" Hope questioned

"No, I need her. Killing Carly will put me back at square one. Yet if she tells Kara or the others, this whole thing will be in ruins." Lena sighed as an idea came to her, "Have you found out which vamtronian turned her?"

"From the footage and information I have rummaged through, Remus' daughter Deirdre was the one." Hope explained

"We need Carly to be quiet and that might just be the perfect play. Carly will be here tomorrow for the cure, but that gives her too much time to blab my plans. If Deirdre were in danger then Carly would have to come to her aid. Carly would feel Deirdre's pain." Lena said aloud

"Shall I tell Remus?" Hope asked

"No, we do this under the radar. Involving him will mean he will want to kill Carly. We can't have that, not yet at least. I will take Deirdre quietly and once I have Carly, Deirdre can go back to normality." Lena said

"Wouldn't Deirdre tell her father?" Hope asked

Lena smiled smugly, "No, she wouldn't. If she told him that I had taken her then he would find out about Carly. Once he learns about Carly, she's dead. I can control Remus, but if he wants Carly dead, I wouldn't have the strength to stop him. Tonight Carly is mine."

"What about J'onn's brother Malefic? Will you help Supergirl with capturing him?" Hope asked

Lena's smug smile widened even farther, "Yes I will help her, but a little tampering will mean the Martian will be sent my lab and not the phantom zone. He can change minds and that is a useful tool, but let's worry about that later. First, let's get you that body I promised."

Lena made her way into the lab and found Eve standing beside the glass of her cell. Lena opened the door and released Eve as she knew trust was possible. Eve was ready to serve and so Lena pushed the big red button.

Hope left her stand and surrounded Eve. Lena knew this was wrong, but the only way to fix humanity was to get your hands a little dirty. Hope made her way into Eve's brain and within minutes was in complete control. Hope went into the other room and changed into something more attuned to her. When she returned, the syncing process was complete.

"Are you ready to get to work, Ms. Luthor?" Hope asked through Eve's lips.

"Let's fix humanity." Lena said


	6. Don't Come Back

When we left Lena's office it was back to my cell for me as the team figured out how to deal with Malefic. They were working to trap him as I was stuck staring at a white wall with only a ball for entertainment. I threw the ball against that wall in the same spot so many times that I left a dent in the drywall.

I wish I could help, but keeping me here was also keeping everyone in the building safe. It wasn't like I was a rabid animal that needed to be kept separate because I would rip someone's head off. I had bloodlust, but I wasn't at the point of wanting to tear someone's throat out. Now if someone were to cut themselves then that would be a different story.

The other day when Lena cut her wrist my bloodlust overpowered my thoughts and made me only want that. So as long as I take deep breaths and stay a relative 10 feet from every human I should be swell. When the bloodlust came, which it had a lot in the last few days, I would become dangerous.

My hands would shake, my fangs would ache, and all I wanted was to sink my fangs into someone's jugular, but then that feeling faded. It usually surfaced when I was close to someone for a good while, but it never stayed longer than a couple of minutes. In a few days time I either took the cure (if it even existed), drink blood, or die.

From what I have learned the transition period is one week, unless you feed sooner. Once you feed, the transition is complete. If you decide to hold out, your body has a week before it dies. At that point you either feed or you die, but at least if you die, you're dying a human.

I personally did not want to turn and I for sure did not want to die, so the cure was my last option. Yet I think I knew deep down there wasn't one. If Lena was doing things to change humanity and was using alien tech to get it, then I highly doubt she would care to make a cure for little old me.

Suddenly the cell door opened and Brainy motioned for me to exit. I followed suit as he brought me down the hall, "I looked at the tapes from this morning and there is a hitch only my eyes can see. Kara said she went to Lena's alone, but I think you went with her. She covered your tracks so no one would know. Why?"

"I wanted fresh air and Kara knew she would be scolded for bringing me out after what happened the other day. We went to Lena's and then we came back here. Nothing else happened." I admitted

"Are you sure nothing else happened?" Brainy asked

That's when the folder I took pictures of came back to my mind, "Actually, I found something and I was wondering if you could decode the file for me."

I took out my phone and pulled up the pictures from Lena's office. He quickly looked them over and then closed his eyes. He opened them just as fast as he handed me my phone back, "It will take awhile, but I am scanning through the files now. May I ask where you got this?"

"It doesn't matter. Just get back to me when it's done." I said

Brainy wanted to ask more, but he let it go. He walked off with what I needed him to do as Kara burst into the room. She looked pissed and she was gunning straight for me. She grabbed my arm and pulled me into the conference room.

"Did I do something wrong?" I asked

"Lena, just called me. She found evidence of you snooping around her office. Why the hell would you do that when I just made up with her? She is trying to help us and now she is wavering because you had to dig through her belongings. Why the hell did you do that for?" Kara yelled

Kara only got angry rarely, but it had never been at me. I actually jumped at how angry she suddenly got, "I know it looks bad, but I had a reason for it. Deirdre told me she saw Lena with some bad people and I just wanted to see if it was true."

"Deirdre? You are talking to the vamtronian that stole your life from you? When have you done this? You haven't left the DEO?" Kara asked

"Vamtronians are connected with the people they have turned. We can talk in our dreams and so for the last few nights that is what we have been doing. She gave me the tip about Lena and I just wanted to make sure." I explained

"So you have been talking to the monster who turned you and not your best friend? If you suspected Lena you should have talked to me and we could've handled this civilly. Why in the hell would you trust Deirdre over me?" Kara asked

I sighed and bit my lip, "Kara, she isn't a monster. I know why she did what she did and she never meant for any of this to happen. Besides, if I had told you this fight would have just happened sooner. I didn't want you involved until I knew if Lena was doing bad because you two had just made up."

"I thought we were friends. Yet here you are investigating Lena and hiding things from me." Kara admitted

"Kara, Lena isn't squeaky clean. She is working with bad vamtronians and she plans to use Andrea Roja's contacts for more than entertainment. Brainy is looking into a file I found right now." I explained

"I don't want to hear it." Kara began for the door.

"Kara, please. You have to listen to me." I begged

She looked back from the door with tears and anger, "I am trying to make things right with Lena and you are making everything worse. You always get in the way and make things worse. Why don't you go to Lena for the cure, if she will even give it you now, and don't come back. I don't want to see you around here for a long while."

"Kara, don't. You're my best friend." I said as my face turned red and tears filled my eyes.

"Not anymore. Now please, I have a martian to catch." Kara wiped away her tears and left me in the conference room alone.

I stood there staring down at my feet with blurry eyes for what felt like forever. I would have probably stood there longer if my phone hadn't started ringing. I took my phone out and didn't even look at the caller I.D. before answering.

"Hello?" I asked

"Carly, nice to see you picked up." Lena said

"Lena, I am so sorry for digging through your office. I made a mistake and I hope you will still help the others. They need your help finding Malefic and I don't want to be the reason you don't help." I cried

"Oh, I will still help them, but that is not why I am calling. I have something you might want." Lena explained

"Want?" I questioned

Suddenly I felt a sharp pain in my side and I collapsed onto the floor. I grabbed one of the chairs legs, snapping it off. Just as the pain came it vanished just as fast.

Lena cleared her throat on the line, "Deirdre says hi."

"Why...are you...hurting her?" I gasped as I pushed myself up onto my feet.

"You snooped where you shouldn't have. I can't have you telling the others what I am up to, Carly. Come to my lab now or I will continue to inflict pain upon your master. Hurry or I might cut something that won't heal quickly." Lena threatened

I lifted my shirt to reveal my skin had not been touched by the knife I felt against my skin. Which meant if Lena continued to hurt Deirdre, I would feel it, but physically I would be fine. I lowered my shirt and gasped in pain.

"Lena, why are you doing this?" I said

"I am doing this because I have major plans and I can't have you ruining them. Come to my lab, alone, in 30 minutes or I'll kill her. It won't kill you, but you'll feel it." Lena warned as the line went dead.

The tears spilled over and I couldn't stop them. Either I stayed here safe or I went to save Deirdre, which was clearly a trap. Plus I had no backup as Kara hated me now. I could get Alex to accompany me but she would most likely have a similar reaction to Kara.

I knew going alone was suicide, but I had nothing left to keep me here. The love of my life hates me and it feels like my heart was torn from my chest and stomped on. If Lena was gonna kill me then at least Deirdre would be alive.

I collected myself, shakily put my phone in my pocket, and wiped away the tears streaming down my cheeks. I took a deep breath and made my way from the conference room to the front doors. When I made it inches from the door, Brainy decided to pop up out of nowhere.

"Brainy, now isn't the time." I said

I tried to walk past him, but he blocked every direction I went, "You seem upset and fluid is leaking from your eyes. Did something happen?"

I wiped away the tears in my eyes and shook my head, "Nothing happened, just some dust in my eye. Have you translated the file I gave you?"

"I am only 73% through the file. In an hour it should be complete and I will know everything about the contents inside." Brainy explained

"Awesome, thank you. I have to go, but please promise me when you know the contents, you'll tell the others. Even if it's damning and hurtful, tell them. Also can you tell Kara, I'm sorry." I said as I started for the door.

Brainy grabbed my hand with worry, "You sound like you are saying goodbye."

I pulled my hand from his and pushed the front door open. I made my way across town with only 5 minutes to spare. I knew this was a trap and I knew I should have told Brainy where I was going, but what would that have done? Hopefully when the file is decoded, Kara will believe what I said and come find me. If not, well, at least I tried.

I came to the lab doors and found them unlocked. I walked inside to see Deirdre tied to a chair, looking worse for wear. Luckily, I looked around and noticed Lena wasn't in sight. I used this chance to ungag Deirdre, but that was a big mistake.

"Carly, behind you!" Deirdre yelled

I turned around and was shot into the adjoining wall with some kind of arm blaster. As my head slammed into the concrete of the wall I fell unconscious. The last thing I remember is Deirdre yelling as my cheek hit the cool tile of the floor.

* * *

My eyes shot open to find myself in another cell, except this one was much bigger. I got up from the cot to see a forcefield, instead of glass. When I placed my hand on it, my skin sizzled. I backed away holding my hand as Lena walked into the room.

"The forcefield is made of pure UV light. It would hurt most humans, but too much of it will kill you. So I would mindful and not get too close to the barrier." Lena explained

"Where is Deirdre?" I asked still holding my hand

"Deirdre is back with her father. Once you were secure, I untied her and let her walk free. If she weren't my associate's daughter, then she would be dead as a doornail by now." Lena exclaimed

"And she won't tell her father because then I'll be killed." I said thinking aloud.

"Bingo." Lena said as she came up to the glass, "If she tells her dad, he'll find out about you. He hates his daughter having anything, which means he will drain you dry in front of poor Deirdre. She can't tell anyone you are here, which means you are the perfect candidate."

"Perfect candidate for what?" I questioned

"Humans and aliens alike are flawed creatures. They will hurt, destroy, and even kill others to protect their own skin. Lying is also a thing many have mastered, but all of that is unholy. I want to make sure no one gets killed, lied to or maimed any longer. I want to fix them.

"I want to take the good parts of humans and aliens to make that their only parts. So everyone is kind, thoughtful, and brilliant. No one will have the ability to lie, to cheat, to cause pain. It will be paradise because there will be no more wars and no more need for Supergirl." Lena explained

"That's what Project Non Nocere is for. You want to use Andrea's contacts to take away the bad parts of people. You can't just change humans and aliens. Perfection always comes at a cost, Lena." I realized

"Oh, I know." Lena said

She snapped her fingers and Eve came into the room. I was shocked as I thought Lena hated Eve, but now they were standing side by side. I looked for a long moment and realized something was wrong with Eve. Something about her seemed off.

"What did you do to Eve?" I asked as I looked from Eve to Lena.

"I am no longer Eve, my name is Hope." Said Eve monotonically.

That name caused my stomach to drop to my knees, "You put your AI inside of Eve?!"

Lena smiled as she placed a hand on Eve's shoulder, "Indeed, I have. I scanned Eve's brain and found where her honesty was held. Then once I found the location, I sent Hope to make a home there. Now Hope is in control of Eve's mind and body. An upgrade you could say."

"What are you going to do to me?" I asked

"Well, I need a test subject for the lenses I will be making. Since you heal so fast, well that will do the trick. We will do great things together." Said Lena with a devious smile.


	7. Lena Takes it Too Far

Lena walked back behind her counter and began making calculations. I pulled myself onto the cot and watched her prepare whatever test she had planned. From this point of view she looked like Lena always had. Lena was never my friend, but we were on good terms because of Kara. Looking at her now, I didn't even recognize her.

"What happened to make you snap?" I asked as Lena looked up from her desk, "You used to be kind, intelligent, and brave. You hated the crimes your family committed and tried to be better than them. What happened?"

Lena picked up a pair of contacts and made her way up to the cell, "Lex told me of Kara's secret right before he died. Knowing she had lied to me for so long when I had trusted her, broke me apart. I want to fix humanity so lying, cheating, and killing are no longer an issue. So no one has to go through that pain again."

"You knew before she told you? Why were you pretending to be friends then? Why forgive her if you were so angry?" I questioned

"I had to play the part. If she even thought for a second I knew, than my plans would be ruined. I can't have her getting in the way." Lena said as she activated the lenses, "I know you took pictures of my file. Luckily Hope and I did a little hacking to make that thorn in my side disappear."

"What did you do?" I asked

"I know you gave it to Brainy so I put a virus in the pictures. It won't kill him, but it will give him the worst headache he has ever had. When he collapses the files will be deleted and no one will have a clue about your whereabouts or my plans. Plus I have your watch and phone, so I won't have to worry about you trying to contact someone without my knowledge." Lena threatened as she put the pair of contacts through the food slot on the side of the cage, "Put these on."

"What will they do?" I asked picking them up in my hands.

"The contacts will map your brain for where your kindness and honesty parts are. Then I will try my best to manipulate the contacts to meld with your brain. If its a success, you'll be the first person to never deal with personal strife again. If it fails...well...we'll just have to deal with that when the time comes." Lena explained

I stared at the contacts in my hand, knowing I was risking my life if I put these in. If it worked I would be a way to happy robot of sorts, but if it didn't work I could die. Nobody, except Deirdre, knew I was here, but what other choice did I have? I sighed and put the contacts in my eyes. Everything around me went white and all I heard was Lena's voice.

"This will feel tingly at first while I am scanning your brain. When I try to meld the contacts it is going to be painful. Very painful." Lena warned.

The tingling sensation began as if little bugs were crawling around my head. That lasted for almost twenty minutes before the pain ensued. Lena didn't even warn me as my whole body ached in pain. I grasped at the floor, indenting the tile. I writhed in pain as the most high pitched scream I had ever heard came from my mouth. I could feel tears rolling down my cheeks as I fell into pury agony.

* * *

Brainy was in one of the training rooms waiting for the download to load when Kara walked into the room. Brainy rose from his seat and watched her angrily walk into the room. She looked more angry than usual and Brainy guessed that is why Carly left crying. Otherwise, he had no explanation for her sudden mood, "What is it you need, Kara?"

"Carly said she gave you pictures of a file from Lena's office. What is in it?" Kara questioned

Brainy scanned his brain to find the download was at 96%. He left his mind and turned his attention back to Kara, "I have not found out yet, but I will in mere minutes. Did you and Carly get into a fight? You seem more angry than usual."

Kara sighed and ran a hand through her hair, "Yes, we got in a fight. Carly went through Lena's office to find something wrong when nothing is the matter. I am finally getting Lena to trust me again and this pushed her to the edge. Luckily, she agreed to still help us catch Malefic."

"That is not the only thing making you angry, is it?" Brainy questioned

"No, it's not." Kara said biting her lip, "Carly, has also been talking to the vamtronian that turned her. Deirdre is the one that said Lena could be in the wrong. I don't know understand how Carly could trust that monster and not her best friend. If she was suspicious of Lena we could have handled it without causing so much drama."

"So, you're mad Carly went to someone else instead of you?" Brainy asked as Kara nodded, "Now I am not Carly, but I think I can understand her point of view. Deirdre tells her that Lena might be working for the bad guys and she didn't want to tell you until she had proof. She didn't want to ruin your mending friendship with Lena until she knew for sure. She wasn't trying to hurt you."

Kara thought for a moment when Brainy began wobbling on his feet. She noticed his sudden weakness as she grabbed his arm to keep him standing, "Brainy, are you okay?"

"I don't know. The file just finished downloading and then...ahhhh!" Brainy yelled as he collapsed onto his knees. Kara tried to get him to calm down, but he just kept screaming. Alex came into the room just as Brainy lost consciousness.

When he awoke a few minutes later he was in the infirmary with Alex, Kara, and Nia standing above him. Nia noticed his alertness first as she grabbed hold of his hand and squeezed tight with a smile on her face. Brainy smiled back at her as the others noticed he was awake.

Alex was the first to break the silence, "Brainy, what the hell happened? Kara informed me of a file Carly had gotten from Lena's office, but what made you collapse like that?"

Brainy sat up on the cot as his head still throbbed with aches of pain, "The file finished downloading and then my brain felt like it was being squeezed. I have felt pain like this in the past when I was still with Legion. Someone had put a virus on the files and deleted them from my memory base."

"So Lena put a virus on the file." Nia noted

"Lena would be the only one capable to do so. The virus was a security precaution to protect against thieves and Carly probably had no idea. Whatever was in that file, Lena didn't want anyone to know about it." Brainy explained as he held his head in his hands.

"Where is Carly now?" Alex asked

"She's gone." Kara admitted as the others looked toward her, "I got angry at her for breaking into Lena's office. I was blinded by my anger and I pushed her away. I told her to go get the cure from Lena and not come back here for a long while. I feel so awful."

"I would call Lena to see if Carly even showed up." Brainy said as he got to his feet, "I caught Carly leaving the DEO distraught. When I caught her leaving, she pushed me away as if she was saying goodbye, for good."

"Kara, you should call her." Alex agreed

Kara began to pull her phone out when an alarm sounded throughout the building. The group headed to the computers and noticed the tracking system got a hit on Malefic. Kara slid her phone back into her pocket and suited up. She would call Lena after Malefic was sent back to the Phantom Zone where he belonged.

* * *

After test number three, I was at the point of passing out due to the pain. Lena was also getting more and more frustrated. So she allowed me to have a break while she tried to configure one of the bugs. I laid there on the floor in a puddle of my own sweat. I felt like I had run a marathon as every body part felt on fire. Luckily, sleep came soon after.

I found myself in the park where Kara and I used to take our walks. Whenever either of us were stressed we would come here to calm our nerves. I always loved this place, but looking at it now I wanted to cry. Kara hated me and I never even got the chance to tell her that I love her. I felt a presence sitting beside me and for the first time I was thrilled to see Deirdre.

"You look like crap." Deirdre stated

I looked toward her with tired eyes, noticing she was just as much of a mess, "You don't look too good yourself. At least you're safe now and away from Lena. Does your dad suspect anything?"

Deirdre shook her head, "No, he's clueless. I fed before I returned to my house so it looked like nothing had occurred. He has no idea about what Lena did to me."

"Well, that's good." I said as I breathed in the crisp air. Something I liked about this vamtronian connection dream thing is it felt real. I felt like I was actually in the park with the crisp breeze and the smell of freshly cut grass. It was a nice escape.

"I am so sorry that Lena captured you." Deirdre apologized with genuine sorry, "If I had never told you of her deeds you would've been safe. It would've given you more time with your friends before she could take you. It might have even give you a chance of rescue. What is Lena doing to you?"

"She's testing her prototype lenses on me. Sadly, the tests have failed every time so the pain is just unbearable. I feel like I am running a constant marathon with no breaks or water. She says she is close, but I am worried what that truly entails." I explained

"I wish I could help you. I truly wish I could, but I can't. If my father discovers your existence, he will kill you. Lena might keep him at bay for awhile, but he will get to you. I can't have him take you away from me too." Deirdre cried

"There is one thing you can do for me." I said as Deirdre looked over at me with hopeful eyes, "Go talk to Supergirl."

Deirdre suddenly tensed up and quickly shook her head, "I can't. If I go there I will be arrested or worse, killed."

"Yes, Supergirl isn't the biggest fan of you, but if you tell her about what is happening she might make it in time. We got in a fight before I was captured, but she would still come to my aid if it was dire. Go there and tell her what is happening." I pleaded

"I don't know…" Deirdre began

I grabbed her hand and looked at her with pleading eyes, "Deirdre, please. Lena took my panic watch and my phone. You are the only chance I have at getting out of here. If you do nothing, I am surely dead. Please, Deirdre. Help me."

Before another word could escape her mouth I was shocked out of the dream. I quickly sat up as the electricity died down around me. Lena was standing outside the forcefield with a distrustful glance. I could tell she knew what I had done and she knew there was nothing she could do to stop it.

"Looks like I can't even allow you to sleep as you have contact with Deirdre." Lena said setting the remote on the table, "I was hoping she would just leave you be, but sadly I was mistaken.'

"How did you even know I was talking to her?" I asked

Lena scuffed at my ignorance, "I have been working with the vamtronians for months now. You don't think I would research them before I got involved? I know their strengths, weaknesses, and what their connection between their victims are. What did you tell Deirdre?"

"I told her to alert my friends to where I am." I spit at her

"Well, we will hopefully be somewhere else by the time they get here. My guest will help with that. He should be here in...5...4...3...2...1." Lena taunted as she looked down at her watch.

Suddenly a forcefield split the cell down the middle; the two force fields in the shape of a T. One minute that side was empty and next someone was standing there. I realized who the stranger was and my heart began to race in my chest. On the other side of the cell stood Malefic with annoyance in his eyes.

"Where am I?!" Malefic screamed, slamming his fists on the barrier. His sudden anger made me move back from the barrier as far as I could get. He noticed me, but ignored my presence as Lena was the one he wanted.

"You are in my lab." Lena responded

"I thought I was being sent back to the Phantom Zone?" Malefic questioned

Lena smiled as she approached the force field, "That is what Supergirl and all her friends believe happened. I know you have been betrayed by those you love and I have experienced that same pain. I think we can help each other. I want to use your powers to fix humanity and I can help you rid the world of your pesky brother, J'onn."

"Lena, no." I begged, but neither Malefic nor Lena paid me any attention.

"You promise?" Malefic questioned

"I promise." Lena said

"Then it looks like we have a deal." Malefic said as they smiled at each other.

Things were so much worse than I originally thought. I just had to hope Deirdre would do the right thing and tell the others. If they were fast enough then maybe, just maybe, they would get here in time. Lena had fallen to the dark side and this just plunged her farther into darkness.


	8. This is All My Fault!

Lena had left the lab for a few hours, leaving me alone with the zombie of J'onn's brother. I tried to break a hole through the force field, but every time I touched it my hand would sizzle. I screamed at the top of my lungs, but no one came. I collapsed onto my knees just as Hope walked into the room.

"You know you can't break through that, right?" Hope said calmly as she approached the force field, "It is made of UV light, you will just burn yourself to a crisp trying."

I stood up and got as close to the force field as I could without touching it, "Please, Hope, help me. You are an AI with not one evil bone in your body. You know this is wrong, don't you? Lena has created a pair of contacts to control those around her and we all know it works. Let me go...please."

"I can't let you go, Carly." Lena announced as she walked into the room. Hope nodded in greeting and left the room so we could be alone, "You know way too much. I let you go, you will blab all my plans to Kara and your friends. Besides, I have more tests to complete before I can make sure the set is ready for production."

"You won't have much time." I warned as Lena raised an eyebrow, "Deirdre will be going to the DEO any minute to tell them about where I am and who kidnapped me. You're going to be caught."

Lena laughed aloud at my statement which made me confused. She looked over at me with smug written all over her face, "You think I didn't plan ahead for that? We aren't even in my lab anymore, this is just an image replacer so you thought that's where we were. When you came to save Deirdre and I knocked you out we traveled to another one of my labs across the country."

"So Deirdre doesn't know where I truly am." I said aloud to myself.

"Exactly." Lena proved with a proud tone, "So when she goes to the others, they might know it was me who kidnapped you, but they won't find us in time to save you."

* * *

Deirdre shyly walked into the front doors of the DEO. She looked around for Supergirl, but one of the agents approached her first. Alex had noticed Deirdre enter and had gotten closer to see why she was here. Deirdre walked up to Alex without either knowing the other's true identity.

"May I help you?" Alex asked

"Is Supergirl here? I need to speak with her." Deirdre admitted

Kara had been in the lab with Brainy and the two were heading down to the computer hub. Kara was at the top of the stairs when she noticed Deirdre with Alex. Rage filled Kara as she flew from the stairs and tackled Deirdre onto the floor. Alex and Brainy were confused at Kara's sudden reaction with the girl.

"What are you doing?" Brainy asked

"This is the vamtronian that poisoned Carly." Kara angrily explained

Then Deirdre was thrown into an interrogation room while being handcuffed to the table. Kara wanted to throw her in a cell, but Alex and Brainy stopped her. Deirdre might know what happened to Carly and questioning her was the right move. Brainy activated the truth seekers in the handcuffs and Alex sat at the table with Kara right beside her.

Deirdre looked down at the handcuffs as Alex explained what they do, "These cuffs have truth seeking technology. While they are on your wrists, you can not lie. We have a few questions that we would like answered."

"I will tell you anything you need to know." Deirdre said

Alex was about to ask the first question, but Kara beat her to the punch, "Why did you come here?"

Deirdre looked Kara straight in the eyes, "I came here to talk to you. Carly is in danger and you are the only one who can save her. Please you have to help her."

"Why don't you help her?" Kara asked with poison on her tongue, "You two are such good friends now. Why don't you come to her aid?"

"I...I can't." Deirdre admitted with a sad look in her eyes, "If I try to help Carly, my father will learn of her existence. If he finds out I turned her, he will kill her. I won't risk Carly's life any more than I already have."

"Who is your father?" Alex questioned

"My father is known as Remus, he is the leader of the vamtronian group in National City." Deirdre explained

"Now why would he hurt Carly if he found out about her?" Alex asked

"My father is a horrid man." Deirdre explained as she bit her lip, "He doesn't allow me to be happy. He kills anyone who gets close to me. If he discovers Carly, he will kill her too. I can't let him get to her."

"Who is hurting Carly?" Kara asked

Deirdre sighed and spoke the answer no one wanted to hear, "Lena Luthor."

"You're lying!" Kara yelled

"I can't lie, remember?" Deirdre said lifting her cuffed hands into the air, "Lena used me as bait to lure Carly to her lab. From what Carly has told me Lena is doing experiments on her, but for what means I do not know. She is in a lot of pain and her craving for blood is just getting stronger. She won't make it much more than three days if she doesn't feed."

"How do we know you aren't just telling us something you believe is true?" Kara questioned

"I can show you." Deirdre said as Alex and Kara became confused, "I have this ability where I can make others feel what I have felt. I can move Carly's pain onto someone else. Sometimes even images of the person can pass along. If you allow me, I can show you."

Kara and Alex looked at each other and agreed to allow Deirdre to touch Kara. They left her handcuffed to the desk and Kara sat down beside her. She wasn't happy about it, but Kara had to make sure she wasn't lying. Deirdre made sure Kara was ready and then she placed her hand on Kara's shoulder.

Suddenly Kara's entire body ached with pain. Even with her super healing, the pain was unbearable. Flashes of images appeared in quick succession. Carly was on the floor covered in sweat, screaming her lungs out. She wanted it to end, but the pain just kept coming. The last thing Kara saw through Carly's eyes was Lena.

Deirdre removed her hand and single tear rolled down Kara's cheek. Her sadness was immediately replaced with anger. She clutched onto Deirdre's shirt and got in her face, "Why didn't you go back for her? Lena used you as bait and then you just...walked away?! Why didn't you go back?!"

"Supergirl, calm down." Alex warned as she stood up quickly, her hand on her gun.

"I couldn't go back." Deirdre cried with regret, "Lena, took me without my father's knowledge. If I told him about being kidnapped he would learn about the reason why. Don't you think I would rush in there right now if I could? I flipped Carly's world upside down and it's my fault she's in this situation, but I don't want her to die. At least with Lena she has a chance of survival."

Alex walked over to the two and separated them. Deirdre sat back down sobbing drastically as Alex escorted Kara out of the room. Kara wanted to go back in, but Alex blocked her from doing so, "Hurting her will not solve anything, Kara. What we should be doing is figuring out a way to save Carly from Lena."

Kara collapsed onto the bench with her face soaked with tears. Alex sat down beside her, rubbing her back. Kara wiped the tears away and blamed herself, "This is all my fault. If I hadn't picked a fight with Carly then maybe she would've told me about Deirdre being captured. Maybe, I would have put my differences aside to save her, but instead I screwed everything up. Carly is suffering because of me."

"This is not your fault, Kara."

"Yes, it is my fault." Kara cried as more tears rolled down her cheeks, "I am the reason she rushed to Lena's. She is in agony right now because I had to pick a fight. I am such an idiot."

Alex grabbed Kara's hand so she would look at her, "You are not an idiot. Everyone lets their anger get the best of them at the worst times. You are Supergirl and Carly needs help. So what are you going to do about it?"

"I'm going to get her back."

* * *

"I will finish my last few tests and then...well...you will be the first of many to never feel anger again. You will be by my side as I make this dream happen and if they don't connect to you as they should there is always Plan B." Lena announced

"What is Plan B?" I asked

"You'll find out if it fails." Lena said

"So you are either going to turn me into a way to happy robot or do whatever Plan B is to me? I thought you said you didn't want to hurt others." I said

"You think I want to hurt you, Carly? I am doing all of this to fix humanity, not destroy it. Sadly, you are the exception. I can't let you go and I can't hide you here forever. When my tests are complete, you will either join me or you won't. If the test doesn't work, you will wish it had." Lena explained

"What if I just sleep and tell Deirdre where I am before you complete your mission?" I threatened

"I thought of that too." Lena smiled and grabbed the remote sitting on the counter beside her. She pushed a button and electricity shot through my whole body, causing me to fall onto the floor. She crouched down beside me as the pain stopped, "Every time you begin to sleep 200 volts of electricity will go through your body."

I looked up at her with disgust in my weak eyes, "So, you don't want to hurt anyone and yet you are torturing me? Does that make any sense, Lena?"

Lena's facade broke for only a second before her wall came right back up. She believed so badly that these contacts would fix humanity from itself, yet she was doing everything she was trying to stop. She lied, she stole, and she caused harm to someone else. I felt sorry for her in a way. Lena had been through so much in her life and she wanted to prevent pain without truly seeing what destruction she was causing along the way.


	9. I'm Not the Bad Guy

A few hours had passed since the last test and I just wanted to sleep, but every time I got close to falling asleep I was shocked awake. I was surprised I could even function at how little sleep I had gotten in the last few days. I heard a creak and Lena came into the room with an excited smile. Just seeing her smile scared me. Whenever she looked this happy, something bad happened to me.

"Carly, we are going to try something new." Lena announced

"And what would that be?" I weakly asked, leaning up against my cot.

Lena proudly walked up to the force field with an explanation, "Now that I know the contacts work, I want to test out their abilities. One of the things these contacts can achieve is seeing other people's important memories. I can see your greatest wishes and fears, letting me know who I am dealing with. Should we see what is going on inside that head of yours?"

I knew what she would see if she connected our minds so I begged, "Please, Lena, don't do this. You have broken me to the point of barely being able to stand. Don't dig around in my head. Let me have that to myself."

Lena's face softened and for a second I thought she actually cared, yet I was mistaken, "I know that your mind is for you and if it were any other situation I wouldn't pry, but I have to. I need to make sure these contacts work. I'm sorry, Carly. Truly I am."

Lena's eyes turned green as my contacts did the exact same. Everything faded around me and I was taken to my family home. Lena appeared beside me as a memory began around us. The second I saw the calendar reading March 12th, 2010, I knew exactly what memory this was. This was my fifteen birthday when my aunt had found out I liked girls, more specifically Kara.

My mom and dad were very accepting when they found out I liked girls, but Aunt Sheila not so much. She was a big Christian and anything different from the norm scared her. Sadly, I was at school and I left my journal on the bed. When I got home I found Aunt Sheila sitting at the table with my journal in hand. The minute I saw it in her hand the smile had dropped from my face and so did all the color in my skin. Sadly, my parents were still at work so I had no one to back me up.

"Where did you get that?" I asked with fear lacing my words.

Aunt Sheila got up from the table and approached me, "I found it on your bed. Thought I might read some of it to get to know my niece a little better, since it is your birthday and all. Yet I found some sinful writing in it that makes me sick. Do your parents know about the sinful things you think about?"

"They've known for awhile now. Mom and dad accept me for me." I said

"Well, they shouldn't endorse this type of behavior. This type of thinking is against God, Carly. You're just sick and need some help. I know a priest in Gotham who could help you beat this monster of a sin. I can fix you." Aunt Sheila said taking a step forward, reaching for a hug.

The anger I had been feeling surged to the surface and I knocked her hands away; my journal hitting the floor. Aunt Sheila was surprised at my sudden anger, but I wasn't going to let her walk all over me, "I don't need to be fixed, Aunt Sheila. There is nothing wrong with how I think or how I feel. Anything you read in that journal was something private that you should never have read. I am me and I won't go to some priest to fix something that isn't broken."

"Being gay is a disorder!" Aunt Sheila shouted

Lena looked over at me with shock. She had no idea I liked girls, no one did. I hid it from everyone for fear of rejection. I know Alex was accepted and loved, but I didn't have the same confidence as her. I never did.

"Just because I like the same gender as my own does not mean I have a disorder. I was born this way and there is nothing a priest can do to fix it. So, why don't you go back to Texas…" I began as I picked up my journal, "and leave me the hell alone."

I began for the stairs and Aunt Sheila ran after me. I was halfway up the stairs when she yelled after me, "I know you have a crush on Kara."

Lena's eyes went even wider with that statement, but I tried to ignore her. I wanted it to be over and luckily it almost was. My young self stopped on the stairs and then turned around to face my aunt. I was so hurt and angry I wanted to scream.

"So, what?!" I yelled causing my aunt to jump, "I'm in love with my best friend who has no idea how I feel. I deal with these feelings every single day about how being this way is bad and a "sin". This is who I am Aunt Sheila! I am not going to change for you or anybody else!"

Then I went up the stairs and the lab came back into the view. I was crying and I think Lena felt it just as much as I did. She unconnected the contacts and looked at me like a friend. I knew Lena wasn't all evil because she was doing this to help make humans better, but after that, we could never be friends again.

"So you have a crush on Kara?" Lena asked as I nodded in response. Lena then asked another question, "Does she still not know?"

I looked at her through my wet eyes, "No, she doesn't. No one does. None of my friends know I even like girls. You are the first person to find out aside from my family."

"Why haven't you told anyone?" Lena asked

"Because I'm afraid." I said blinking the tears away, "I'm not like Alex. I don't have the confidence she has. I'm so worried of rejection that I bury it deep inside. Yet it doesn't matter anymore as Kara hates me now due to you."

"I never meant for that to happen." Lena admitted

I looked at her with doubt. I shook my head and spoke my mind, "Bullshit, Lena. You wanted to use me as a lab rat and you knew you had to get me away. If Kara still cared she would have come to find me. You say you don't want to hurt people, yet here we are. You've hurt Deirdre to get me here, you've tortured me for days, you made Malefic's mind jello, you put a virus in Brainy, and when I am no longer useful you plan to leave me to die. Does that sound like a good person, Lena?"

"Doing some evil to get the world to be a better place is worth it." Lena scoffed, getting off the floor and heading over to her desk.

She began rapidly typing as my contacts activated themselves. I tried to take them off, but I was no longer in control. I looked over at her as she smiled a devious smile. I knew what she was about to do and I begged, "Lena, no more please."

"I need to get out all the kinks before I mass produce these contacts, Carly. I need to make sure everything works. Now sit still, this is going to hurt. Test 5 begins now." Lena announced as she slammed her hand on a big red button.

Then my brain felt like someone was kicking it around like a soccer ball. I fell on my back as I screamed with all the might my lungs could give. A single tear rolled down my cheek as pain consumed me.

* * *

Kara didn't like it, but the best course of action was to get more information from Deirdre. Alex allowed it only if Kara promised to not lay another hand on the vamtronian. Kara was reluctant, but she agreed to the terms as both headed back into the room. Deirdre had calmed down as Alex and Kara took their seats across from her.

"Where is Carly?" Kara asked

Deirdre sat up and scooted closer to the table, "She's in Lena's lab. I was unconscious for the trip there and back, but I am pretty sure it was under the Luthorcorp building."

"Do you know why Lena needs her?" Alex asked

"Honestly, I have no idea." Deidre admitted with complete honesty, "Carly didn't have a chance to tell me before she was shocked awake. All I know is Lena is using her as a lab rat for some purpose. I didn't get anything more."

Before either Alex or Kara could say something more, Deirdre screamed. She collapsed onto the floor as Brainy ran in the room to see what the commotion was all about. Alex explained the situation to him while Kara grabbed hold of Deirdre and pulled her onto her lap. When her screaming stopped, she looked up at Kara with pleading eyes, "Please save her."

Kara had a guard take Deirdre to the infirmary as she prepared to leave. She wanted to go by herself, but Brainy and Alex insisted they come along. Kara wanted to handle this on her own, but she knew having backup was always a good idea. Once everyone was ready to go, Kara grabbed hold of Brainy and Alex and they flew across town.

Kara dropped Alex and Brainy down behind the building as the three snuck through the back and into the basement. When they came down into the lab the place looked presteen; no sign of Lena or Carly. The group searched the lab and found nothing that said Carly was ever even here. Suddenly one of the monitors began to glitch and Lena's face popped up on the screen.

"Hello, everyone. I see you've come to visit. What makes you drop in so unannounced?" Lena said with a smug smile.

"Where's Carly?" Kara asked

"She's right here beside me. Isn't that right, Carly?" Lena provoked, turning the camera so it showed Carly within her cell. She was pale with dark circles under eyes. Sweat covered the surface of her skin and her lips were almost blue. Carly looked awful and just the sight of her almost made Kara cry.

She wanted to cry, but she also wanted to ring Lena's neck around. Kara knew neither was the answer so she kept her fake confidence and demanded, "Let her go, Lena. This isn't you. You don't hurt people to get what you want."

"Sometimes the only way to get things done is to hurt people. Besides, what do you think you did to me all those times you lied about being Supergirl? You think that was what a good guy does? You hurt me worse than anyone possibly could have." Lena cried

"Lena, I never meant to hurt you." Kara reassured

"Do you remember when you finally told me you were Supergirl? You were weeping. Big crocodile tears. Well, I wept real tears, bitter tears over you weeks before." Lena admitted as the group's eyes went wide.

"Wait, you knew before I told you? How...How long did you know?" Kara questioned

"I found out the day I killed my brother." Lena admitted as Kara began to interrupt, but Lena stopped her, "You didn't kill him, Kara. You saw him fall, but did you see him land? Did you see him die? I did, and let me tell you, it wasn't pretty."

"That's impossible." Kara and Alex said at the same moment.

"Anything's possible when you're Lex. I was waiting for him with my gun already loaded. Every fiber in my being rebelled, but I knew I had to because if Lex lived, the world wouldn't be safe." Lena yelled as tears rolled down her cheeks, "So I forced myself to pull the trigger. I shot my own brother in the chest. His final words to me were that I was a fool, that my best friend, that every friend I had was lying to me. With his dying breath, he told me that you were Supergirl."

"Lena, you have to believe me, I never meant to humiliate you." Kara pleaded

"When I came to this city, I promised myself that I would never trust anyone again, and then I met you. You chipped away at my armor with your warmth and your earnestness, and you convinced me to trust in people and friendship again, and against my better judgment, I did, all the while telling you about my Achilles heel; betrayal. I confided in you that everyone in my past had betrayed me. You reassured me ad nauseam that you would never lie to me, that you'd never hurt me. And all the while, there wasn't a single honest moment in our friendship" Lena cried with so much anger it made Kara jump.

"If you hate me so much...why not out me at the Pulitzer party? Why pretend to still be my friend this long?" Kara questioned with tears staining her cheeks

"Because I wanted you to experience what you did to me. Feel what I felt." Lena cried

"I understand your pain and your fury. And you're right, I made a big mistake, maybe the biggest mistake of my life, but please Lena, please don't let my mistake push

you to do something terrible. I don't know why you are using Carly as a lab rat, but you can stop. You're a good person." Kara cried

"No!" Lena yelled with suffocating anger, "No, you don't ever get to tell me who or what I am again. What I am doing with Carly will save humanity and will complete what has to be done. I am not a villain, Kara. You shouldn't have treated me like one."

"Lena, I will find you and Carly." Kara cried

"I'm counting on it, Kara. I know you want to save us both, but you have much time." Lena said looking down at her watch, "The clock is ticking."

The transmission cut out and the screen went black once again. Kara's anger boiled over and she slammed her fist into the table beside her; leaving a good sized dent.


	10. It Was The Only Way

I noticed through my weak eyes that today was the day; the day I had to feed or die. I never wanted this, but I wasn't going to die in this cell in my own sweat and blood. If I had to become a half vamtronian to see Kara again, I would. That is if Lena decided to give me blood so I would survive. Luckily, Lena decided to walk into the lab right at that moment.

"You know what today is right?" I asked as I leaned up against the wall.

"Today is the day of the final test. This should allow the contacts to connect to your brain and you will never feel anger or deceit again. It's fantasizing, isn't it?" Lena excitingly smiled as she noticed my look. Then she remembered what other day it was today, "Oh, right. Today is also your feed or die day. Don't worry I won't let you die. Once the contacts are in place, I will give you the blood you so crave."

"Shouldn't you give me the blood first? So I am strong enough to endure the test?" I suggested swallowing the spit in my throat.

Lena thought about it for a moment and realized I was right. She yelled for Hope and she appeared a few seconds later with a blood bag. Just the sight of it made my fangs extend with the worst thirst I had ever felt. The last few days the hunger came and went, but the pain distracted me from it. Seeing the blood up close made it so much worse.

Lena approached the cell and slid the blood bag through the food tray. The second it hit the floor I snatched it up and stared deeply at the bag. I watched as the blood sloshed around in the bag like a water bottle on a hot day. I popped the cap off the top and brought it to my lips. When the blood hit my tongue it was like nothing I had ever felt.

The flavor was an explosion of pure ecstasy. All the pain from the last few days vanished instantly as I drank every last drop. The color returned to my skin, my gums stopped feeling sore, and any bruises/cuts were completely gone. I felt tingly all over and so weightless I could float. Lena and I both knew it wasn't enough to get me to full strength, but I no longer had to fear dying. I was a half vamtronian now whether I liked it or not.

When I cleaned every last drop of blood from the bag, I shoved it back through the food slot, and wiped my lips. I breathed deeply as I, for the first time in a week, felt good; really good. Lena picked up the bag and handed it back to Hope who left to wherever she had come from. Once Hope was gone, Lena came up to the cell with a smile, "Are you ready to begin?"

* * *

"We should be out there looking for Carly instead of sitting here looking through files!" Kara yelled throwing a manila folder across the room, "The longer we sit here, the more time Lena has to hurt Carly. I should be out there looking for her. If you guys didn't let Deirdre go she might've helped narrow the search down."

"We need to do our research before you attack Lena. We don't even know where she is. Lena owns buildings all across the country, they could be anywhere and if you run in blind they could be gone before you even take a step inside. We need to be smart so we can stop Lena and save Carly. Plus keeping Deirdre here without proper motivation is turning her into a hostage which we don't do." Brainy explained

"Do you think Lena would kill her?" Kara asked aloud with worry.

Kara and I hadn't ended on good terms and she hated it. She wanted me to appear in the doorway so we could hug it out and cry. She wanted me to tell her everything was going to be okay and be the rock she so often needed of me. Yet I never came through that door and she was so worried I never would again. She couldn't lose me just as much as I couldn't lose her.

Alex got up from her pile of files and squeezed Kara's shoulder, "Honestly, I don't know what Lena will do. Before this I would have said never because I knew what Lena was like, but now I just don't know. Lena is so blinded by her pain that she doesn't realize what she is truly doing to the people around her. We just have to hope Lena won't go too far down that dark path."

"Yeah, I hope you're right." Kara said with doubt.

Suddenly J'onn ran into the room completely out of breath. Kara, Alex, and Brainy looked toward him with confusion at his sudden entrance. He caught his breath as his next words made them all stand up, "Malefic isn't in the Phantom Zone."

"What do you mean he isn't in the Phantom Zone?" Alex asked

J'onn motioned for them to follow and the three let him lead the way. He took them across town to a warehouse where they found Malefic sitting on his own. Alex, Brainy, and Kara prepared for a fight, but then they realized Malefic was just staring off into space. Brainy approached and swayed a hand in front of Malefic's eyes, but there was nothing, not even a blink.

"What is wrong with him?" Brainy asked, analyzing Malefic's face.

"I honestly have no idea." J'onn said with a shrug, "I was finding counsel with my father when he told me Malefic was still on earth. I found him like this and I have tried to get him to wake up, but I can't by normal means. My father gave me two options to help Malefic."

"What were these two options?" Alex asked

J'onn sighed knowing what he was about to say would make none of them happy, "Either I use Brainy's tech to send him back to the Phantom Zone or I save him...by letting my mental block completely down. He will be able to see all my memories, thoughts, and feelings so he knows I am genuine in trying to help him."

"Yet he could also poison your mind and kill you." Kara pointed out

"What other choice do we have? We need to figure out why he is still on earth and who did this to him. If we just send him back we won't get the answers we seek. I am willing to risk it for him. I need to give Malefic the benefit of the doubt because I have always chosen to push him away. Trust me, I can do this." J'onn reassured the group.

Kara wanted to object, but Alex held her back. Brainy moved to stand beside the girls as J'onn stood in front of his brother. He placed his hands on either side of Malefic's head, closing his eyes, and slowing his breath. Their minds connected with both squinting their eyes. Neither of them moved a muscle after that as the adventure began.

Kara began pacing with worry as time continued to go on. Alex was trying to stay strong, but when the hour mark hit she was also beginning to get fidgety. Brainy stayed calm as he usually did, but he was also feeling the edges of worry. Just as they were about to break up the pairing J'onn shot back from Malefic, hitting the floor.

Malefic's eyes turned back to their original brown as he stood up, looking down at J'onn. The others prepared for a fight just in case this got ugly. J'onn looked up at him as Malefic reached his hand toward J'onn. He grasped it tightly and Malefic pulled him up to his feet. They looked at each other with teary eyes as they hugged tightly.

The other three lowered their weapons and replaced their worried glances with smiles. When the two separated, Kara asked the important question, "Who did this to you?"

Malefic looked around at the group and the one name they hoped they wouldn't hear came from his lips, "Lena Luthor."

* * *

The smile that was on my face now vanished just as fast as it appeared, "What will happen if your contacts work?"

"If they work you will still be you, aside from a few factors. You can still feel happy and sad, but no longer will you feel violent. You can't lie, cheat, steal or get angry. If you try to do anything bad, it will feel like a migraine times one hundred." Lena explained

"So, what do I have to do?" I asked

"Just sit still. This should only take a moment."

She pushed a few buttons and then clicked enter. My contacts activated and a tickling sensation spread across my brain. It felt like little bugs crawling all around as I tried not squirm. A sudden pain shot through my body and then the lab came back into view. I was hoping that was a good thing, but Lena's face said otherwise.

"Lena, it didn't work so why don't you just erase my memories?" I asked with confidence, "As long as I got to go home, I wouldn't care if I couldn't remember your plans. Then I am out of your way and no one will know what you are up to. I'd say that is a win-win. Then you don't have to do anything drastic."

"I would, but don't you remember? I know everything about vamtronians and I know mind erasal is impossible due to the makeup of your brain. I'm sorry but plan B is the only option now." Lena explained

Lena whistled as Hope brought a group of men into the lab. The men all wore the same black suit and red tie combination. The group dispersed and a stout mean-looking man came to the front. He had a scar across one eye and his face was worn with battle wounds. I studied his face when I realized I recognized the eyes. This was Deirdre's father Remus.

"Remus, this is Carly. Your daughter Deirdre's newest creation." Lena announced

He looked from Lena over to me with a sadistic smile. Lena lowered the force field as he appeared right in front of me. He grabbed my arms before I could even fight back as he looked me over with interest and annoyance. Remus sniffed my neck and my whole body shivered, making him smile.

He moved back just far enough so we could look into each other's eyes. His smile widened as a thick irish accent escaped through his lips, "You and I are going to have so much fun together."

"Lena, please you can't do this!" I begged as he pulled me from the cell by my arms. I tried to struggle out of his grasp, but it was no use and we both knew that. I looked at Lena with pleading eyes and I knew deep down she felt bad for doing this, but her face didn't show it.

"I'm sorry, I had no other choice." Lena said with blank face.

I began to scream for help, but Hope and Lena just watched as I was pulled from the room. One of Remus' goons grabbed hold of me and threw me over his shoulder. I began to beat my fists against his back, but the vamtronian didn't even flinch. I was going to die and no one even knew where I was. I was done for.

* * *

"Why did Lena do all of this?" Alex asked aloud, mostly thinking to herself, "Why kidnap Malefic and use Carly as a lab rat? None of this makes any sense."

"She is trying to save humanity." Malefic interrupted, causing the whole group to turn their attention to him.

"What do you mean save humanity?" Kara questioned

Malefic stepped forward with a sigh, "Ms. Luthor said that she wanted to use my gift to fix humanity. Create technology that would make human and alien alike better people. I agreed to help her because she promised I could get revenge on J'onn. I was so blinded by pain I agreed and now that I don't want revenge any longer, I feel at fault."

"What kind of technology do you mean? Guns? Satellites? Bombs?" Brainy asked in quick succession.

"No, she wanted to create contacts." Malefic admitted

"Like Obsidian Tech…" J'onn realized

Malefic nodded as he continued to explain, "She wanted to remove anger, strife, and pain. Like a wall in the mind of others so no one could experience the kind of pain she had to endure. She used my powers to create her contacts."

"So why did she need Carly?" Kara asked

"She had been trying to create this tech before I arrived. Carly was the lab rat she used to test them out. Even in my trance-like state I could hear Carly's suffering. I wouldn't wish that kind of torment on anyone." Malefic explained

Kara's anger boiled over and she punched the crate beside her, causing it to fly across the room. The others jumped at the sudden noise while Kara gritted her teeth, "This is all my fault. If I hadn't been such a baby and told Lena the truth she wouldn't have gone down this path. She wouldn't have used your powers for evil contacts and she wouldn't have kidnapped Carly. This all my fault!"

"Kara, this isn't your fault." Alex said as she placed her hand on Kara's shoulder.

Kara looked down at it and shrugged Alex away, "Don't say it isn't my fault because we all know it is. I got my best friend kidnapped and now she might be dead because of me. If Carly didn't feed today, she'd die. For all I know Lena let her die and it's all because I'm a liar."

A figure appeared from the shadows and caught everyone's attention, "Carly, isn't dead."

"How did you get here?" Brainy asked with curiosity.

"And how do you know Carly isn't dead?" Alex also asked

Deirdre stepped forward while fiddling with her hands. She was nervous and worried just as much as all of them were. She cleared her throat and explained, "I heard you had a lead on Carly and so I followed you. Plus I am connected to her, remember? I feel her pain and I would feel her death just the same. She isn't dead, quite the opposite. She just became a half vamtronian."

"So Lena fed her...that's a relief." Alex said as the group calmed down, well, aside from Kara.

Kara knew this was something I never wanted. I wanted to be normal and live a normal human life. Maybe I wasn't dead, but was it any better? Deirdre could sense how Kara felt and so she spoke up, "I know this isn't what Carly wanted, but it's better than being dead. She is alive which means I might be able to find her."

"How can you find her?" J'onn asked

"Our connection goes farther than sensing pain. I can also track her location." Deirdre admitted

That statement made Kara angrier than she had ever been. She sped from where she was standing and slammed Deirdre up against the wall, pinning her there. The others ran over and tried to pry Kara off, but she was so much stronger, "If you could track her this whole goddamn time, why didn't you tell us?!"

Deirdre tried to pry Kara's hand away while she tried to explain, "Lena had been keeping Carly in a cell that dampened her powers. I couldn't sense where she was until an hour ago. A little blip came to me before it disappeared again, but she isn't easy to get to."

"Where is she?" Kara grumbled

"My father's headquarters." Deirdre sighed

* * *

Meanwhile, Lena was analyzing the capabilities of her contacts. She was fixing some of the bugs when Hope came into the room with the device Lena had asked her to retrieve. Luckily, Lena knew where Kara had hid all of Lex's most dangerous weaponry and that came in handy. Hope placed Myriad on the counter just as Lena finished up.

"What is your plan with this technology, Ms. Luthor?"

"It's quite simple, Hope." Lena explained as she walked around the counter and took Myriad in her hands, "This device allows me to control the minds of others. If I can combine my contacts with this device I can save the world without ever leaving my lab. No one will ever feel pain again. I am going to save humanity from themselves before they even know what happened."

"Are you sure Supergirl won't try to stop you?" Hope asked

"Kara will try, but she'll fail in the end." Lena said with a smile.


	11. She Will Never Find You

After leaving Lena's lab, I was thrown into the back of a limo and forced to travel in silence. When we arrived they dragged me inside in a stone building complex, which had even more goons in it. Deirdre was not kidding when she said her father was like a vamtronian mobster. I was carried into this nice office and thrown onto the floor. Remus entered soon after, shooing his goons away as he locked the door behind him.

He straightened his suit and sat behind his desk, motioning for me to do the same. I sighed in frustration, but followed his orders and sat in one of the chairs opposite his. He locked his fingers together as he eyed me down. Before I could say a word he jumped in first.

"Lena told me Deirdre turned someone, but I never expected such a weak thing like you. She hasn't tried to turn anyone since...Cillian. I'm surprised she even tried again. Why did she transform you?" Remus asked

I leaned forward in my chair with fake confidence on my face, "She was collecting something for you and I caught her in the act. She planned to just let me be, but I fought back. She drained me and planned to let me die, but Supergirl arrived. Deirdre turned me so she could get away."

"Oh, so your friends with Supergirl?" Remus asked with interest.

"Yeah and when she finds me, you're done for." I threatened

"Oh, really now?" Remus asked as he vanished from his chair and appeared behind mine. His hands gripped my shoulders and he whispered in my ear, "I have kept this organization a secret for almost 200 years. Do you really think she will be able to find me so easily? By the time Supergirl does find you, it'll be too late"

"What do you get out of killing me?" I asked

He smiled and whispered in my other ear, "Nothing. Just the satisfaction of making my daughter watch me kill her mistake."

Remus laughed and then appeared in his chair again. I looked at him with disgust as I vented my feelings, "Why do you want to see Deirdre suffer so badly? She's your daughter and all you ever do is push her down. You kill her friends and make her watch as you do it. Why are you so cruel to her?"

"She defied me and I don't take kindly to defiance. Hanging with others who are not of vamtronian blood asks for trouble. You get attached and then watch them die or you kill them. I protect her from getting too involved." Remus explained

"Do you truly think this is the way to do it? Just because you don't want her to get hurt you think it's okay to kill all her friends? Killing isn't always the answer. You don't always need blood on your hands." I retorted

"Don't I?" Remus questioned, grabbing my hand and holding up my wrist. His eyes traveled to my skin and he traced my veins, "Blood is what keeps us alive. You may be new, but you know the hunger that plagues us. You know the urge to feed and how seductive it can be. I keep her from others so she doesn't kill someone she cares about. Killing them before she can hurt them or they can hurt her makes sure she will never have to worry about it."

"If something like that happens, she should handle it herself. It is her actions that got her to that point and you shouldn't control that. You can't treat her like a pet, Remus. She is a person and she feels. I am connected to her and I can tell you that she hates you. Truly hates you." I said

"Does she now?!" Remus yelled, digging his sharp fingernail into my wrist.

His fingernail cut so deep blood began dripping down my wrist. He stared at the line of crimson trailing down my forearm. Remus licked from my elbow up to the cut like nothing else mattered. I tried to pull my arm away, but his grip was like cement. He continued to grasp my arm as his eyes went back to me.

"I don't need parenting advice from you or anyone else. Tomorrow night I will drain you dry while my dear Deirdre watches. Maybe then she will do as she is told." Remus said with a sadistic smile.

He pushed a button on his desk and one of his goons came back into the room. The goon grabbed my arm as Remus let go of the other. I was dragged from the room and pushed into a rusty cell in another cement room. All the other cells surrounding me were empty, except for one. Right beside me the cell had a man with his face in his hands. He looked weak and just as terrible as I felt.

When he looked up I almost fell off the cot, "You're Cillian, aren't you?"

The man lifted his head with genuine surprise. He looked up from his hands toward me with tired eyes. Cillian looked sickly and his whole body was caked in dirt. He scanned my face to see if he recognized me, but both of us knew the answer to that.

"How do you know me?" Cillain asked

"Deirdre showed me a memory of hers involving you." I explained

The second her name rang through the room, his eyes turned into dinner plates. He moved as close as the bars separating us would allow. There was hope in those tired eyes, "You know Deirdre? How?"

I moved my sweatshirt to show the scarred bite mark on my throat, "She turned me while trying to get something for her father. She has been showing me the ropes, well until I was kidnapped by Lena Luthor and then given to Remus."

"If Deirdre turned you, Remus is going to kill you." Cillian said

"I know." I said exhaling loudly, "Sounds like I will be killed tomorrow night in front of Deirdre. Yet what I am more curious about is why or how you are here? In the memory Deirdre showed me she tried to turn you and you died. How are you even here?"

Cillian bit his lip and ran a hand through his greasy hair, "She didn't kill me. I just took longer to turn then most, but by the time I woke up her father already had me. Instead of killing me outright, he has kept me locked up so I can suffer for all my days, knowing I can't have Deirdre."

"How has she never found you?" I asked

"Her father doesn't let her in this part of the building." Cillian said with a frown, "I have sensed her nearby and tried to yell for her, but the walls here are 10 inches thick. Even if I yelled at the top of my lungs she would never hear me."

"We are going to have to change that." I said as he looked at me with confusion while I continued to explain, "I'm going to get you out of here so you can finally see her again. If we can loosen your lock, you can escape while everyone is distracted with me. Then you can get Deirdre out of here and as far from her father as you can get."

"Even if I get her out, Remus will follow." Cillian stated

"If my friends come to my rescue, Remus won't be a problem." I explained as I admitted who I was friends with, "I know Supergirl personally. We aren't in the best position right now, but she knows I'm in trouble. She'll be here."

"This place is jam packed with red sun emitters. If she comes inside, she'll be almost human. She won't be much stronger than your average girl so how do you expect her to get in here and rescue you from at least 100 vamtronians?" Cillain questioned

That made my heart sink. If Kara came to the rescue she could get hurt or worse. Me getting hurt was one thing, but Kara getting hurt was a whole nother thing. I never wanted to see harm come to her, but I couldn't think of that now. I had to focus on the situation at hand, "We'll cross that road when we come to it. Right now, we need to figure out how we are going to get you out of this cell."

"How are we going to do that? They haven't given me blood in months. I wouldn't have the strength to break the lock, let alone fight anyone who tried to stop me." Cillain admitted

Then it came back to me like a speeding train. Deirdre's father was an elder, which meant he could drink a half vamtronian's blood without getting sick. Since Cillian was turned by the daughter of the elder, maybe it would still work. I pulled my sweatshirt off and put my arm, that Remus had already cut, between the bars, "Bite me."

"Huh?" Cillain questioned with shock.

"Bite me." I repeated, shaking my wrist in front of him, "Remus can drink the blood of half vamtronians because he is an elder. You are almost as old as he is, so my blood should do the trick. Drink my blood and then you'll have the strength to escape."

His eyes traveled down to my wrist and locked on. His breathing became labored as he swallowed the spit in his throat, "Are you sure?"

"Deirdre loves you." I said as he looked up from my wrist into my eyes, "She has been heartbroken since that day 200 years ago. If I just left you in here to rot and Deirdre found out, she'd kill me. If there is any chance I can get you back to her, I will. At first I hated her for making me like this, but now I think she might be the only friend I have. Bite me and find her again."

He hesitated for a moment and then grabbed a hold of my arm with both hands. His fangs extended as he looked back at me to make sure I was sure. I nodded and he sank his fangs deep into my skin. At first there was pain and then only pleasure filled my body.

* * *

While I was in a cell, the others were having a heated conversation with Deirdre. Kara still had her pinned to the wall while the others tried to get the story of how the hell I made it to Remus. Kara was trying to give Deirdre a chance to explain, but her anger was making it very difficult. Alex noticed this and tried to keep the conversation going, "I thought Lena had her?"

Deirdre sighed loudly, "She did, but that blip of connection means Carly must have lost her purpose. Lena must have told my father and given Carly to him. If so, we don't have much time before he decides to kill her."

"Where is your father's base?" Kara asked

"You can't go in there." Deirdre warned with a shaking head, "My father has 100+ men inside that building with lead walls and red solar energy transmitters. If you go in there, you will be just as human as your sister. If you want to save Carly, you need to be smart about it."

"Do you have a plan then Deirdre?" Brainy asked as the group looked at him with anger, "What? She might have an idea and we might as well listen to her."

Kara sighed and caved. She let Deirdre go and backed up to stand beside Alex. The group looked at Deirdre as Kara sighed with annoyance, "What's your plan?"

"Whenever I have made friends my father loves to kill them in front of me. To punish me for getting close to anyone, but a vamtronian. I will go to his complex and let myself get taken so it seems like he took my friend and I didn't know. Then you, Alex, J'onn, Brainy, and whoever else you can manage can break through the back door."

"Won't we get caught?" J'onn asked

"Not until you hit the main room where everyone will be." Deirdre explained with honesty, "When it comes to this sort of thing, my dad loves to have an audience. He makes all his goons watch as he kills my friend. We are vulnerable to beheading, fire, and an ashwood stake to the heart."

"I think I can craft some ashwood bullets." Brainy said

"The ceremony will happen tomorrow night so my father can prepare. If he drinks Carly's blood there will be nothing to help her get better as no humans will be present. So unless one of you wants to cut a vein, you are going to need to get her out of there as fast as you can." Deirdre explained

"Brainy make bullets, J'onn take Malefic to your home, Alex get men, and Deirdre you go back to your father. We are saving Carly tomorrow night." Kara ordered

The group agreed and split up. Alex and Brainy went back to the DEO while J'onn took his brother to his home. Kara began to leave when Deirdre grabbed her hand and pulled her back into the warehouse. Kara looked down at Deirdre's hand as she quickly removed it.

Deirdre ran a hand through her hair with a sigh, "I'm connected to Carly, which means I know what she feels whether its happy, sad, or in pain. I can tell you blame yourself for this whole thing and I want you to know she isn't mad you. She was never mad at you. Carly's more mad at herself than anything."

"That doesn't mean it wasn't my fault." Kara said

"Kara, Carly cares for you deeply. More than you could ever imagine." Deirdre admitted

Kara looked at her with confusion, "What do you mean deeply?"

"When you save Carly tomorrow, ask her. It isn't my secret to share."

Before Kara could ask for more information, Deirdre was gone. Kara stood there in the warehouse wondering what Deirdre truly meant, but for now it wasn't important. She had to focus on saving my life or she would never forgive herself. She would save me, even if meant dying...

* * *

Lena had gotten Myriad unlocked and now everything just needed to be wired. Hope helped Lena get her contacts formatted to be connected to Myriad as they worked quickly. The sooner they could finish, the sooner the world would be saved. Lena finished organizing everything as she gave an order to Hope.

"Get Myriad online and operational. Non Nocere launches within the hour." Lena ordered as she yelled after Hope who was about to leave the room, "And, Hope, excellent work preparing the move. Our Q-wave generator is ready to integrate with Myriad."

Hope nodded and got to work. With a few adjustments and coding bugs being squashed the two were fully functional. The contacts and Myriad were one.

"It's ready, Ms. Luthor." Hope announced as she saw the sadness in Lena's eyes, "Supergirl caused you a great deal of pain. I can see it in your eyes."

"After my family and after Andrea, I knew better than to trust in friendship anymore." Lena said at the point of crying.

"All of the anguish that you're going through, it doesn't seem worth it. It inspired Non Nocere. It inspired you." Hope reassured

Lena nodded and wiped her tears with a smile, "You're right, who needs friends when you can save the world?"


	12. I Won't Let You Down

Suddenly the sirens in the DEO all went off in a flash. The group entered the main com room to see Brainy frantically scanning his screens. Other agents were running around just as frantic.

"Brainy, what's going on?" Alex asked

"Myriad was moved from the Fortress of Solitude. It was portaled to Mount Norquay in Alberta, Canada. I looked closer and found out where it was taken." Brainy said as he pulled up a map showing the tracking ping, "It's in one of Lex Luthor's warehouses."

"How could Lena have known where the Fortress of Solitude even was?" Alex questioned

Kara's heart sank as she realized this was also her fault, "Lena knew where the Fortress of Solitude was because I took here there. I needed help with a mission and I allowed her to tag along. This was when we were still friends so I thought nothing of it. Now I'm the reason Lena stole mind-controlling technology."

"You didn't know this was going to happen." Brainy reassured

"It doesn't make me feel any less anxious." Kara worried as she ran a hand through her hair, "Now Lena is going to use her contacts with Myriad. She's going to take away people's free will to feel anything other than honesty and happiness. If she used Myriad she could control everyone on the planet. I have to fix this."

"Kara, maybe Lena is past saving." Alex suggested

"No, I can still save her. I can fix this. If I can just get through to her maybe I can stop this before it even begins. Brainy, can you get me in there?" Kara asked

"We could harness the Kryptonian cache crystals we have here to covertly project a hologram beam into her bunker. That way you can talk one on one without being in danger." Brainy explained

"That's great." Kara said

"What are we going to do about Carly?" Alex blurted out as she voiced the thoughts of everyone in the room, "Carly will be killed tonight, but Lena could destroy the world even sooner. We can't be in two places at once."

Kara thought for a moment and then it came to her, "Let me talk to Lena. Just give me a chance. I'm the one who hurt her and I'm going to fix this."

Alex was reluctant, but she caved at the sight of Kara's puppy dog eyes. Brainy made sure the other DEO agents knew what to scan for as he followed the girls to one of the back rooms. He set up the crystals and got it calibrated with the location of Lena. This had to work because if it didn't, things were going to get so much worse.

Once it was ready, Kara stepped onto the platform and Brainy commenced the hologram. Everything went white and then Kara was suddenly in Lex's warehouse. She noticed Lena was working on her computer when Lena suddenly stopped. Kara knew Lena had sensed her as her posture became stiff.

Lena turned around with annoyance and anger on her face, "Supergirl."

"Please, just hear me out." Kara begged as Lena crossed her arms over her chest, "Don't do this. Whatever it is you're planning on doing with Myriad and Malefic's Q-waves isn't worth the consequences."

"Did it ever occur to you that I was going to do something good for the world?" Lena said as she saw the look in Kara's eyes, "Of course, you assumed the worst. I'm not the bad guy, Kara."

"I know. You spent years trying to be open and trusting, even when everyone expected you to be like your family. Even when I was weak and lied to you, knowing that all you ever asked for was the truth. Lex took advantage of my weakness and he used it to manipulate you. He wanted you to become him, but you are nothing like him, Lena. Don't let my mistakes turn you into something you're not." Kara begged

"Lex didn't change me and you didn't change me either. You just exposed me to the ugliness of humanity. You did me a favor, Kara. I learned what kind of deceitful person you really are, and that's what inspired me to do this." Lena explained

"Lena, please." Kara begged

Lena scuffed at Kara, "Your words mean nothing to me anymore. Why don't you go save your best friend? I hear she'll be killed tonight."

"Lena, this isn't you."

Before Kara could say anything more the transmission cut out and she was brought back to the DEO. Her eyes were filled with tears as Brainy and Alex understood the apology didn't work. Alex decided to break the silence first.

"Look, your choice to conceal your identity, it wasn't born out of a place of maliciousness. It was born out of love and compassion. You were just trying to protect Lena from people who could use that information to hurt her. And look, I love Lena, too. I am deeply upset by what is going on. But this...this is someone who has traveled down a dark road." Alex said

"No, but this is not her. This is not our Lena." Kara denied

"Well, who is our Lena?" Alex asked with honest confusion, "I mean she knew that Lex was out of prison, and she said nothing. She kept Sam Arias locked in the basement at L-Corp, knowing that she was Reign, and she said nothing. She knows how to make Kryptonite, and she kept that hidden from us. Lena is leading her own double-life. We can't put our faith in some distant hope that she's gonna do the right thing, Kara."

"We can't let her continue down this path. The safety of the world depends on that." Brainy interrupted

"She is not Lex. I will not treat her like a villain." Kara insisted

"I know you won't. That's why I have to." Alex admitted as Kara became confused, "I put a virus on the hologram. Her machine will be shut down within 20 minutes and so will the warehouse's defenses. We will be able to take her into custody without injury."

"You used me!" Kara exclaimed

Alex stepped forward and placed her hands on Kara's arms, "It was the only way, Kara. We can't be in two places at once. Brainy can deal with taking down Lena's tech so you, me, and a few men can go rescue Carly. We can't always rely on hope to save the day."

* * *

Lena's machine was up and running. Everything was in place and Hope asked, "Ms. Luthor, this is your moment. Shall I activate?"

Hope got it to the point of activation while Lena placed her hand above the button. She looked at Hope with determination, "Three...two...one."

Lena slammed her palm onto the button and nothing happened. Lena pushed it again and again nothing happened. Before she could push the button a third time all the alarms in the building went off all at once. Lena was confused at the sudden alarm activation so she began searching through the code for errors.

"What's happening?" Hope asked

"It won't lock onto the satellite. Something's interfering with the dishes' ability to move." Lena said frantically trying to find the issue.

That's when Hope discovered what was wrong, "It's a virus. It's working through our mainframe. If the virus spreads, the DEO will be able to deactivate our security defenses in 20 minutes. We need a workaround before then. We could manually unlock the arrays."

"No, Lex has booby-trapped this entire place. There'll be a lethal failsafe if I try to tamper with the dishes." Lena warned

"Then I'll go. One of my prime directives, as you programmed, was to ensure the success of Non Nocere. If that means self-sacrifice so be it." Hope said

"No. Even if you could manually reset it, there's no telling the extent of the virus's damage." Lena said as she scanned through the code to try and find a fix, "If we could replicate the virus, we could reverse-engineer it and override the shutoff remotely. That way no one gets hurt."

Hope agreed to Lena's plan as the two got to work. If they didn't hurry everything would be ruined. They needed to be fast because once the defenses were down, the two were done for.

* * *

Meanwhile, I was still locked up. Cillian had taken enough blood to get his strength back without causing too much damage to me. We hashed out our plan and by the next day we were ready. I would go to the ceremony as planned and while everyone was busy he would break out and find Deirdre. He would hopefully get her out of there before everything went to hell.

"You need to run as far and as fast as you can. When tonight is over go find Deirdre and take her away from this awful place." I ordered

"I can't just leave knowing you might die. You gave me your blood, a complete stranger, and I owe you. I will not leave without making sure you and Deirdre get out of here. I will keep my distance, but I am not leaving." Cillian insisted

"Just be careful." I said as the door to the room opened.

Two goons came into the room and unlocked my cell door. Instead of fighting I got up off my cot, giving Cillian one last look before following the others through the open door. They grabbed my arms and escorted me into this large gathering room. One hundred, if not more, vamtronians were inside chatting amongst themselves. I was taken to the front of the room where Remus was waiting.

The goons pushed me into Remus' arms just as the room went dead silent. I looked around at all the faces and all of them looked excited to see me die. Not one of them looked guilty or worried. Just as I came to stand at the front of the room Deirdre was dragged into the room kicking and screaming. They took her to the front of the room just a few feet from me. The two placed her in a chair and held her down so she couldn't try to stop Remus.

Feeling the other's feelings went both ways when you were connected. I could feel hope and defiance in Deidre. I looked at her with confusion as she mouthed one word that made this whole situation a little less scary. Remus had not noticed which was a relief as Deirdre had mouthed Supergirl.

"It is now time to kill my sweet daughter Deirdre's mistake. Deirdre turned her out of need of escape so it was not necessarily on purpose. This fact means that I will be more lenient on this penalty than what I have done in the past. I will make death quick instead of the usual long death." Remus announced as the crowd sounded disappointed.

Deirdre tried to lean forward, but the goons pushed her back against the seat. She looked frantic, but her eyes said she was just stalling, "Father, please don't do this. Carly has done nothing wrong. It was an accident, I never meant to damn her, please. Please just let her go!"

"I can't just let her leave, Deirdre. You need to learn that even accidents have consequences. Besides, she knows where our base is and she knows our faces. If I let her go the DEO will be here in minutes and I can't have that. Don't worry Deirdre, It'll be quick." Remus said as he grabbed my arms and pulled me in close.

He moved the hair from my neck without ever losing eye contact. I looked at him and tried to keep the hope I saw in Deirdre eyes, "You won't win, Remus. My friends will take you down."

"If that is the case then where are they?" Remus asked

Suddenly the door slammed open and a giant group of people ran into the room. Kara, Alex, J'onn and Nia were at the front of at least 50 DEO agents. Kara strode closer to Remus with confidence on her face, "We are right here."

"You shouldn't have interrupted Supergirl, I am in the middle of teaching my daughter a lesson." Remus said

"Well, that lesson involves my best friend." Kara said as she looked over me with sorry in her eyes before returning to look at Remus, "I can't let you continue the lesson. Let her go and we won't have to retaliate."

"You have no power here, Supergirl." Remus threatened

"I know. Due to your red sun transmitters I am almost human. Even without my powers I am here with armed agents and aliens who do have their powers." Kara said as J'onn transformed into his green martian self and Nia's hands began to glow blue, "Hand over my friend before things get messy."

"You can't kill us with glowing hands." Remus laughed

"They can however kill you with ashwood stakes." A voice said from the group. Remus' face dropped as Cillian walked from the back of the group to stand next to Kara, "Plus they have me and I know my way around a stake."

When Deirdre heard his voice her whole body stiffened. She turned to watch him walk up as she began to cry. He looked over at her and the same tears came to his eyes. She leaned forward with shock, "Cillian, you're alive?"

"I am and have been for 200 years. Your father kept me locked away so you would never know, but no more hiding. I ran into Supergirl in the hall and since we both have the same objective I thought I would help out." Cillian said looking from Deirdre to Remus who suddenly looked worried, "Let Carly and Deirdre go or suffer the coincidences."

Remus looked nervous and his grip loosened on my arms, but that vanished just as fast as it appeared. His smile widened as he looked toward the group and his goons, "I could let them go, but there is no fun in that. Vamtronians attack!"

Every vamtronian turned toward the group and ran in a stampede. The good guys began attacking as Kara snuck away to go for me. Remus watched the fight as I tried to break from his grasp. When he noticed Kara approaching he dropped me onto the floor with a loud thud.

Kara held up her stake and the two began to fight. She got a knick his arm and got in a few punches as well, but she was no match for him in her state. They fought for only a few minutes before Remus knocked Kara onto the floor, somehow getting the stake in his possession. She was on her knees, breathing deeply.

Remus lifted the stake into the air and was planning to stab Kara with it. Even if she wasn't a vamtronian getting stabbed with a sharpened stake would still do damage, if not kill her. I got up and knew what I had to. I used my speed to appear in front of Kara just as the stake came down into my chest. Kara looked up with wide eyes as she realized what I had just done.

Meanwhile, Cillian made his way over to Deirdre, knocking out her capturs in the process. They looked at each other for a long moment before kissing each other, each of their eyes filled with tears. Then they both went stiff when they smelled blood in the air. They pulled back to see Remus had stabbed a stake into my chest. Remus pulled the stake out and was prepared to finish me off as Cillian appeared out of nowhere and tackled him onto the floor.

I looked down at the hole in my chest as I lost strength in my legs and collapsed onto the floor. Kara appeared next to me just as Deirdre had. Deirdre was the first to speak, "You need to get her out here. She needs blood and she needs it now."

"But we are nowhere near a hospital and I don't have the strength to get her to the DEO." Kara cried

"You are almost human and you have blood in your veins. Let her feed from you." Deirdre suggested as Kara looked at her with blurry vision, "The yellow sun gives you your power, but the red sun takes it away. Your blood will not be poisonous to her until you regain your strength. You can save her."

"She would never agree to that. She wouldn't want to hurt me." Kara denied

"I know she wouldn't, but there are no other options. Get her out of here and get her to feed. If you don't, she will die. Now go before she gets worse. Your friends, Cillian, and I will do our best to keep this under control." Deirdre insisted

"I can't just leave you all here." Kara whined

Alex's voice rang out as she staked one of Remus' goons, "Kara, get her out of here!"

Kara hesitated for a moment, but she knew Alex and Deirdre were right. She pulled my arm over her shoulder and helped me stand up. I gasped in pain as I was going in and out of consciousness. She secured my arm and half carried, half dragged me out of the room. Luckily, all the men were focused on the fight that no one was in the hall trying to stop us.

We got to the back door and into the alley. Kara sat me up against the wall so I could rest. She took a look at the wound in my chest and noticed how weak I truly was. I needed blood and I needed it now. There was no one else around and she wouldn't get her powers back until morning. So she pulled up her sleeve and put her wrist near my face.

"Carly, I want you to bite me." Kara ordered

I looked up at her with weak eyes and shook my head. I pulled myself onto my feet and tried to walk away, but my legs gave out. Kara ran up behind me and caught me in her arms. I looked up at her and refused again, "No, Kara. You're weak right now, I could seriously hurt you."

"Carly, listen to me." Kara said as she placed a hand on my cheek so I would look her in the eyes, "If I were at full strength, my blood would kill you. Right now I am almost human, which means my blood is consumable. There is no one else around and I won't have the strength to carry you all the way back to the DEO. You have to bite me."

Kara placed her wrist in front of my face again and I could hear the pulse underneath her skin. I could see the flow of blood and how badly I wanted to rip into her skin, but I couldn't. I wouldn't let myself hurt her. So I pushed her wrist away again. Kara knew I would continue to refuse so she put matters into her own hands.

She helped me sit up and then Kara pulled me into a hug. She held me tight against her so my face was right against her throat. The smell of her blood was intoxicating and her pulse was loud in my ears. I tried to push her away, but even in her weakened state she had more strength then I had.

"Carly, you have to. I'm not about to lose you after I went through so much to save you. You're my best friend and the last time we talked I let my anger get the best of me. I hurt you and I will never hurt you again. Now drink my blood so we can get out of this dingy alley and have a Christmas movie marathon like we always do during December. We'll even watch White Christmas." Kara explained

"That's my favorite Christmas movie." I cried as I gritted my teeth.

"I know it is." Kara said as she began to cry just the same, "We'll have popcorn, hot cocoa, and enjoy the classic together, even if you like it way more than I do. Just bite me so you can heal up and we can enjoy White Christmas for the 25th time."

"I don't want to hurt you." I whispered

"You could never hurt me."

Before Kara could respond, my fangs were in her neck. She gasped and then began to moan. For once I was totally not weirded out by the moaning factor as hearing it come from Kara actually made me blush. Her blood exploded in my mouth like fireworks on the 4th of July. When I regained strength in my arms I placed one on the other side of her neck and the other clung to her back. Kara's arms found there way to the back of my sweatshirt and she clung to me as if it were life or death.

I could feel her heartbeat go insync with mine as I drained the life from her. I had never bitten a human before, but I understood why vamtronians did it. It was like nothing I had ever experienced. The blood bag was bland compared to this and I wanted all of it. I almost kept going to the point of killing her, but then I felt her grip weaken.

That little movement made me stop in my tracks and I quickly pulled away. She looked weak, but from what I could tell she would be fine. I scanned her over with worry as she squashed my fear, "I'm fine, Carly. Don't worry about me."

"Are you sure? I didn't take too much or anything?" I quickly asked

"I'm fine." Kara reassured me with a smile, "Now are you ready to have that movie marathon."

"Don't you worry, I'll be there."

* * *

Lena tried her best to work around the virus, but she didn't have enough time. Just as she was about to finish, the machine shut off and so did all the security. Hope and Lena looked at each other, utter defeat in Lena's eyes, "They stopped Myriad."

"I don't understand." Hope said with confusion.

"There's nothing to understand. I lost. This is a life lesson to learn." Lena said as she swallowed the spit in her throat, "Sometimes the good guys don't win."

"I'm sorry I failed. I wish there was more I could do for you, Ms. Luthor." Hope apologized

Lena walked around her desk and pulled out a small gun. She held it in her hands as the sound of guards could be heard down the hall. Lena looked down at the gun and into Hope's eyes. It took Hope a second and then she understood what Lena wanted her to do.

The guards broke into the room as Hope put Lena in a chokehold, holding the gun against her head. The guards came into the room with guns raised. Hope began to yell soon after, "It wasn't her. It was me. I did all of it."

"Drop the gun! You're surrounded!" Yelled one of the guards.

Lena began the fake tears and fear as she begged, "Eve, please."

Hope sighed loudly and took a step away from Lena. She raised her hands into the air while throwing the gun onto the floor. One of the DEO agents came up to her and put handcuffs around her wrists. The group pulled her from the room as one of the agents stayed back.

"Ms. Luthor, you all right?" The guard asked

"I'm fine…" Lena said with a look of pure agony in her eyes. She had failed and now she lost the one person helping her. Everything was going down the crap shoot and she had no idea what to do next.

* * *

Alex and the others ran out into the alley just as I was helping Kara stand up. Alex noticed how weak Kara had become and then she noticed the bite. She looked at me and I reassured her Kara would be fine. Once Alex accepted that fact she pulled me in for a hug. She squeezed me tight as I did the same to her.

"Don't ever scare us like that again." Alex said pulling back from the hug, "You are like a second sister to me. Don't go into a dangerous situation on your own without telling someone. You scared the hell out of all of us."  
"I'm sorry, Alex." I said as I then looked at all the others, "I'm sorry to all of you. I should have told someone where I was going or better yet brought someone with me. I was not in the right frame of mind and I'm sorry. I promise to never do something like this again."

"You better keep that promise." J'onn said as he brought me in for a hug.

I backed up as Brainy awkwardly tried to hug me. He still didn't fully understand the whole hugging thing, but the idea that he tried for me made me smile. I hugged him tight and when I pulled back I had a question on my mind.

I turned my attention to Alex and asked, "Is Remus dead?"

Alex looked at me and smiled, "He is. Cillian and Deirdre killed him just as we escaped the building. We went out the back and they disappeared out the front. I don't know where they went, but I think they made it out safe."

I smiled to myself as a loud bang sounded from behind me. I turned around as the group watched the smoke fade to reveal The Monitor. All of us tensed up with annoyance and Kara more than the rest.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Kara yelled as she tried to attack him. She moved forward only to fall into my arms. I kept her standing and made sure she didn't lung for him again. We all knew that when The Monitor showed up things were going to get so much worse. Last time I almost lost Kara and I sure as hell wasn't going to go through that again.

He smiled a smug smile as he approached, "I am here because you, all of you, are ready for what is coming."  
"What is coming?" Alex asked

"Crisis."


	13. Everything is Going to Hell

After The Monitor announced a "Crisis" was coming we were all suddenly portaled to the DEO. All of us looked around, but the Monitor was nowhere in sight. We all looked at each other with utter confusion as the room began to shake. I helped Kara to sit down while Brainy frantically ran to the scanners to figure out why this earthquake was happening.

He looked at the monitors and confusion spread across his face, but not just normal confusion. Brainy's eyes went wide with fear, which made everyone in the room just a little uneasy. Luckily, Alex broke the silence first, "Brainy, what is happening?"

"This earthquake is not only affecting the city, but the entirety of earth." Brainy explained, pulling up a 3D model of the earth while he continued to specify, "Yet this earthquake is not happening from within, but from the outside."

"What could cause an earth-wide earthquake?" Kara asked as if every word put her out of breath.

Brainy pulled up a map of the universe with a line of energy snaking across it. He turned toward the group and pointed at it, "Whatever it is, it is hurtling through space at an impossible speed. I calculate it will reach the edge of the universe in exactly 5 hours, at which point, it will boomerang back. Once it intersects again with our solar system, the results will be, in a word, cataclysmic."

"When is this going to hit us?" I asked

"There are too many variables to calculate precisely, but I will say this. If this wave isn't stopped by tomorrow night there will be no more us. No more future. No more anything." Brainy said with certainty.

Kara tried to get off her chair, but her legs wobbled. I saved her from falling as she looked at Brainy with need, "Are there any inhabited planets in its trajectory?"

"Just one." Brainy said as a 3D model of Argo City appeared on the screen.

Kara's eyes teared up as we all realized what that meant, "Oh, my God. Clark's there with Lois and my mom. I have to go there and warn them."

She tried to walk from me, but her legs gave out and she landed back in my arms. She tried again, but I made sure she couldn't escape my grasp, "Kara, you are in no condition to do anything. You need to get your strength back before anything else. You will go to the infirmary and use the yellow sun transmitters so you are back to full strength. Okay?"

She wanted to fight me, but everyone in the room agreed with me. She sighed in defeat, but suggested something else, "Can we warn them with a hologram or voice file?"

"Argo Harun-El sure makes communication difficult, but I will try." Brainy said as he ran to one of the computers and began rapidly typing.

As he got to work on the message, I helped Kara to the infirmary. She laid on the table and I turned the light transmitters on full blast. She would be fine within 15 minutes so I sat by her side until the strength within came back. We sat in silence for quite awhile...well...until Kara spoke up at least.

"Carly, Deirdre mentioned something before I came to rescue you." Kara said as I looked into her bright blue eyes, "I haven't had the chance to bring it up since the Monitor showed up. She mentioned you felt deeply for me and she said I would have to ask you what that meant. What did she mean by that?"

My stomach fell to the floor. Deirdre had mentioned my feelings to Kara. Not specifically outright saying it, but the meaning behind those words was quite obvious. I tried to stay calm as I spouted the truth, "Kara, I care about you a lot. You are my best friend and you have trusted me with your secret for so long. We have grown together and fought battles, even if I didn't throw a punch. Kara, I L…"

As I was about to say the one thing I had always wanted to tell her, Alex and Brainy ran into the room. We looked from each other to them and their facial expressions meant something went wrong. Kara sat up and asked the question on her mind, "Did you get the message through?"

Brainy and Alex looked at one another as Brainy told her the news, "The message was a success, but we have no idea if they got off in time. Argo City is gone, Kara."

Kara began to cry as I pulled her in for a hug. She dug her face into my shoulder and soaked my sweater with tears. Alex came over and squeezed Kara's shoulder as Brainy looked on with worry. The building shook again as everything turned red. We left the infirmary to find the sky a blood red and a woman standing on the front steps.

"Hey! Face down on the floor. Now!" Alex yelled as she ran down the stairs, pointing her gun at the mysterious woman.

Kara, Brainy, and I appeared beside Alex with the same hateful glances. Kara being the first to ask, "Did you do this? Did you destroy Argo?"

The woman said nothing as people appeared behind her including Green Arrow, Mia, Batwoman, Superman, and Lois. Kara's eyes went wide with joy as she ran forward, hugging Lois and Clark. This time happy tears filled her eyes as she pulled back from them, "I am so glad you are both okay."

"Thanks to her." Clark said motioning to the mystery woman, "She appeared at the last second and brought us here."

"And my mother?" Kara asked with hopeful eyes.

Clark and Lois looked at one another and then back at Kara. That simple movement made Kara know exactly what they were about to say. Clark placed his hand on her shoulder and shook his head, "I'm sorry, Kara."

Kara blinked away the tears as Alex got to the point. She put her gun away and took a step toward the mystery woman. Alex was pissed and wanted answers, "Okay, you. Start talking."

"My name is Lyla, but I go by Harbinger. Follow me." Harbinger said as she began walking.

Alex led her and everyone else to the conference room. We all took a seat at the table and a small smile appeared on my face. I was never allowed into meetings for this sort of thing, but now that I had abilities I could help. The woman pulled up the same diagram Brainy had shown earlier as she faced the group.

"There's a wave of anti-matter sweeping across this universe, destroying everything in its path. I brought you all to Earth-38 because this is where the Monitor wants you to make your stand. This universe is the tipping point. If we don't stop the anti-matter wave here, it will continue to the next universe, and the next, and the next. Until it has obliterated, not only every Earth, but every thing across all reality." Harbinger explained with utmost importance.

Oliver was the first to speak up, "Right. So, we are going to need a bigger team. Where's Barry? Where are the legends?"

"Doing reconnaissance. I'm headed to check on them now." Harbinger announced as she vanished out of thin air.

The room went silent as Alex tried to lighten the mood, "Well, Brainy's algorithm will help forecast exactly how much time we have until the anti-matter wave hits."

"Thank you all for being here. I know we can beat this together." Kara said with optimism.

Suddenly the building shook even worse than the last time. The group headed into the hall to see a giant tower appear from the earth. We all looked at one another as Kara decided, "I can handle it."

Kara was about to fly off when Harbinger reappeared with Flash, Atom, and White Canary. Barry stepped forward with hands raised, "Wait, the tower isn't a threat. It's a quantum tower, apparently, and it's the only thing that can save the people of this world."

Harbinger motioned everyone to come to the monitors in the main room. We all followed suit and she explained the situation, "At the dawn of time, the Monitor placed quantum towers on key Earths as a last line of defense. The red skies are dissipating, which means it's working."

Brainy scanned the designs for the tower, "From this design, it looks like the tower is capable of generating a quantum flux field, which can, theoretically…"

"Reverse the exogenic state of the anti-matter wave, thereby dissipating the anti-matter energy." Ray interrupted

Brainy looked over at Ray with a smile, "Yes. Finally, someone who speaks my language."

"So the tower can stop this Earth from being destroyed?" Kara asked

"If you can protect it." Harbinger said as she continued to explain, "The Anti-Monitor. He commands forces greater than any army. When the tower stops the wave, they will come to thwart any effort to save this planet and its people."

"I will try my best to get an evacuation started." Alex said as she and J'onn headed off to figure out what to do next. The rest of us had to figure out how we were going to protect that tower.

When we began splitting into groups, Barry was the first to really notice I was there. I had been involved with the events last year, but I was never in the middle. He walked away from Oliver and appeared beside me with a question, "So, Carly, what are you doing here?"

"A lot has happened since last year, Barry." I said as I watched Kara follow after Clark. He had wandered onto the balcony and was staring up at the sky. He was worried about Lois and his son and Kara had similar worry with her mother being gone. Barry noticed where I was looking, but wasn't going to go without an answer.

"Something is off with you." Barry said as he looked at me with curiosity, "You seem different."

"I was turned into vamtronian and I fully transitioned a few days ago." I said as he looked at me with utter confusion so I specified, "Vamtronians are aliens that have super speed, strength, senses, live forever, and they drink blood. So I'm pretty much a space vampire."

"Well, that's new. On my earth we don't even have aliens, let alone vampire aliens. Are you okay?" Barry asked with honest concern.

Since Barry had visited this earth we have always been friendly to one another. We understood each other quite well and he was a good friend. I wish I could have a love like he had with Iris one day, yet I was too scared to tell Kara so I don't know if that would ever happen.

I looked at Barry and shook my head, "Honestly, I have no idea. This whole thing is a mess...I mean I almost died yesterday from a vamtronian mob boss and now the whole universe might end. Everything is just going down the shitter and I have no idea how to even feel. I'm surprised I can even breathe."

"Vamtronian mob moss?" Barry asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Long story for another time." I said as Clark left Kara on the balcony, "I'll be right back."

Barry nodded as I walked over to Kara. She was looking down at the city as I leaned against the railing beside her, "We can do this, Kara. I know we can."

"We?" Kara questioned as she looked at me with alert.

I looked down at my feet and then I took her hand in mine, "Kara, I can't sit on the sidelines any longer. The world is literally ending and I'm going to be there by your side the whole time. Let me help you."

"Carly, this is dangerous." Kara whined

"I know it is and I don't care." I said confidently with crossed arms, "The world is ending and it needs as many heroes as possible. I might not have the expertise the others have, but I want to help. I know I can do something. Sometimes you need protection just as much as the rest of us."

"Fine, but only because the world is ending." Kara warned as we were about to get me battle ready. I took a few steps forward before Kara grabbed my hand and pulled me back. I looked at her with confusion as continued our conversation from earlier, "Before Alex and Brainy walked into the room you were going to tell me something. What were you going to say?"

I wanted to tell her, but I couldn't. Now with the world ending, spouting something like this out in the open could make things complicated. I didn't want to distract her and I didn't want to cause more trouble. So I put a smile on my face and lied through my teeth, "It was nothing. Just that you are the most important person in my life and I will be there through everything. You are like my sister, Kara."

Kara looked down at where my heart was and I knew she could tell I was lying. Kara had very good hearing and she always knew when someone was telling a lie as their heart would skip a beat. She wanted to pry more, but she knew when I was ready I would tell her what I truly meant. She nodded and left to prepare for the fight to come.

I on the other hand had a call to make. I pulled my cell phone from my pocket and dialed Deirdre's number. It rang only once before she had began sputtering into the phone, "Carly, what is happening?"

"Long story short the universe is going to be disintegrated by a wave of anti-matter, but Supergirl and her friends are trying to stop it. There are ships arriving downtown that are going to pick up as many people as they can. I need you and Cillian to get on one of those ships." I explained

"If the universe is going to end, what is the point of getting on a ship?" Deirdre questioned

"We are working on that right now." I said as I looked up at the tinted sky, "Alex is working on a transmatter portal big enough for the ships to get through. That way everyone will be taken to Earth-1."

"Wait, there are multiple earths?" Deirdre asked with shock

"Yeah, the multiverse exists. Kind of confusing if you ask me, but that isn't important right now. I need you both to get on a ship because if you don't then you'll be erased from existence. Please get to safety." I begged

Deirdre sighed into the phone, but agreed, "We will do our best. See you soon."

"See you soon, Deirdre." I said as I ended the call.

* * *

Alex and J'onn needed a way to get the people out of this universe and fast. They had the ships, but they needed a transmatter portal big enough for the ships to make it through. Sadly, the only one who could possibly make that was the one person who hated everyone, Lena.

J'onn organized the ships while Alex went over to L-Corp. She made it to Lena's office as Lena turned around with disgust. She was angry and not in the mood for Alex so she annoyingly asked, "Are you here to arrest me during the apocalypse, or to try and kill me because you weren't successful the other day?"

"I wasn't trying to hurt you, Lena. I was trying to stop you from using Myriad." Alex admitted

"I didn't use Myriad, that was Eve Tessmacher." Lena denied with a sip of her drink.

Alex scuffed, "You and I both know that that isn't true." Suddenly the building began to shake again so Alex got to the point, "The reason the sky is red, and the planet feels like it's falling apart is because it is. There is an anti-matter wave that is tearing through the universe right now, and it will destroy Earth if Kara and the other heroes don't stop it. Now, I am working with J'onn to hedge our bets and mount an evacuation, but in order to do that we need your help. I know that you feel burned by us, but if you could please just put your feelings aside, J'onn and I really, really, need your help."

Lena got up from her desk with a sigh, "I'm surprised you would ask for my help after what happened with Carly."

Alex sighed just as loud and pretty much begged, "What you did to Carly is unforgivable, but the world is ending Lena. I am desperate and I need your help or everyone on this planet is done for. I...we need you help, Lena."

"I don't want your apology, Alex. You will never again have my friendship or my trust as I have learned my lesson from all of you. But if the world is at stake, then of course, I'll help. It is blasphemy that you think I wouldn't, what do you need me to do?" Lena said with crossed arms.

* * *

The plan was simple; protect the tower at all costs. Oliver, Mia, Kate, Ray, Barry, and I would protect the base of the building while Kara and Clark flew around the top. When we arrived, Kara and Clark shot into the sky as the rest of us walked into the building side by side. Kara wanted to keep an eye on me, but she had to protect the top of the tower so she made Oliver my babysitter.

I was going to help, but I wasn't allowed to jump in front of the danger as I had never been in a true fight before. I had fought in the past, but nothing like this. When the dementor-like beings started coming for us it was all hands on deck. Oliver and Mia stood back to back shooting as many creatures as they could with their bows. Barry attacked the ones getting too close while Ray and Kate used their batarangs and laser beams to destroy a few more.

I was standing at the back when I noticed Oliver got his bow thrown from his grasp. The others were busy and a creature was heading right toward him. I used my speed to appear in front of him and I shoved my fist right through the thing, disintegrating it into nothing. Oliver looked up at me with shock as I helped him up and his daughter, Mia, handed him his bow.

That's when I noticed Kara falling from the top of the building. Oliver tried to keep me back, but I wasn't going to let Kara hit the ground. I used my speed to catch her just as Barry caught Clark. The two thanked us as the others ran from the building to join us outside to see 100s of the dementor things flying in the sky.

"The tower is working again and the portal is open." Barry said as the others came to stand beside us.

"According to Brainy's algorithm, we have 14 minutes before it makes contact with Earth." Kara said as she looked down at her watch.

"Well, then we better make every minute count." Oliver said as the group looked toward him, "We need to keep those shadow demons at bay until every last ship gets through."

The plan was to make it to the top of the tower and take out as many as those beings as we could. Clark, Kara, and Barry helped get everyone to the top so we could end this. As Kara flew me to the roof I felt my phone buzz with a call, but I couldn't answer it now, there wasn't any time. We made it to the roof and the fight continued.

Each of us fought off as many as we could, but there were too many. As we fought I noticed something appear out of the corner of my eye. I turned and noticed the monitor standing there.

"The battle is lost! We must retreat and save our resources for battles yet to come!" The Monitor yelled as his hand shot out.

Suddenly portals began appearing behind everyone and sucking them in. First Batwoman, then the Atom, then Mia, then Superman, Kara, and Barry. The only two left were Oliver and I. A portal appeared behind me, but I made sure to push back because I noticed there wasn't a portal for Oliver. Oliver looked at me and whispered sorry as he pushed me into the portal.

I went through the portal and landed on the floor in a room I didn't recognize as Kara helped me up. The others looked at me for information about Oliver and I shook my head. A few minutes went by and we all just paced back and forth until another portal opened. The monitor appeared and so did a bloody Oliver.

We all ran to Oliver's side as the monitor spoke to the group, "He fought to his last breath. Knowing every moment was another life saved."

"Saved?" Kara asked with tears in her eyes.

"Of the 7.53 billion, three billion souls made it to Earth-1 on the armada of ships. I calculate one billion souls survived due to his noble sacrifice." The Monitor announced

The mood of the room dropped to an all time low. Everyone began to cry as they surrounded Oliver. He was still alive, but we all knew he wasn't going to make it. Barry grabbed Oliver's hand and squeezed it tight.

Oliver looked up at Barry with a weak smile, "Barry, you are an amazing hero. You are my friend and the very best of us. I gave it all up for you and Kara."

"What do you mean?" Barry and Kara asked at the same moment.

"I need the two of you to be the one to save us now."

Oliver looked up Kara and Barry as he took his last breath. The two began to cry as the others did the same. His daughter was barely able to stay on her feet. I was never close with Oliver, but he should have never had to go this way. It was unfair and heartbreaking.

I was with the group when suddenly my entire body erupted with pain, causing me to collapse onto the floor. Kara quickly appeared next to me and held my hand tight. Barry appeared on my other side as the others looked confused and just as worried. The pain came and vanished just as fast. When the pain vanished I felt empty, like a part of me had died, and then it hit me.

I quickly pulled myself from Kara and Barry while taking out my phone. Everyone watched as I frantically turned my phone on to see a message. I pushed play and put the phone to my ear.

The number was Deirdre's and the message said, "Carly, I was hoping I could get a hold of you, but...you are probably saving the world with Supergirl. Cillian and I couldn't make it to a ship. We arrived just as the last one was leaving for the portal. I am sorry you will have to feel me die, I truly am, but I know you will fix this. Help the heroes save the day and bring us back. I'm sorry…"

Then the message ended and I couldn't move. I dropped my phone and my vision blurred with tears. Everyone looked at me with confusion, but Kara knew exactly what happened. She tried to take a step forward to comfort me, but I couldn't. I backed away and ran out of the room. She followed after me as the others stayed with Oliver.

Barry looked from Oliver to The Monitor and noticed fear on his face as he spoke to the group, "It was not supposed to be like this. This is not his ending I foresaw. Things are turning out differently than I expected. But one thing is certain. Everything we know, everything there is, and everything there ever was is doomed."

The group stood in silence as they looked down at Oliver. They would do their best to stop this crisis, but for now Oliver deserved to be mourned. This should've never happened and every one in that room wished it had been them instead of Oliver. Every single one of them.


	14. You Should Tell Her

I looked around and realized I was on the waverider, which until then I had never been on. I stopped in confusion as I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned around to see Kara with empathy in her eyes. I lost control and started sobbing. She pulled me into her arms and I dug my face into her shoulder. The comfort of her arms around me made the pain lessen, if only a little. We stayed in that position until she broke away, "Carly, you couldn't have saved her."

"You don't know that." I said wiping a tear from my cheek, "If I had answered that damn call, I might've gotten to her in time. Maybe, I could've used a portal to teleport her to us, but I was so busy with the fight I didn't even check who had called. This is all my fault."

"Carly, I understand how you feel." Kara began

Her nice words actually made me angry. I was hurting and I knew she was just trying to help, but I was pissed, "You have no idea how I feel. I felt her die, Kara. It isn't just that I lost a friend, I felt it. I felt her fear. Her pain. Her suffering. I felt all of it. She helped save me from her father and in return I let her die!"

Kara wanted to say more, but I noticed the others meeting in the comms room. I pulled back from her and went to stand by the others. Kara came up beside me, but neither of us said a word. I wasn't mad at her, just myself. I had done this and I was going to fix it.

The Monitor stood before all of us with genuine grief, "You have all lost a great hero."

"The wrong hero." Barry muttered

"I do not disagree. You have suffered a horrible loss, but you have every reason not to lose hope." The Monitor said as he looked around at all of us, "Across space and time exist 7 heroes. Beings of the purest will, who can ultimately defeat the Anti-Monitor. They are known as Paragons."

"Paragons? And you're just dropping this on us now?" Barry asked with poison on his tongue.

The Monitor looked toward him with honesty, "I only recently learned of their existence by consulting "The Book of Destiny". After Oliver's early demise, I went back into the time stream and retrieved it intact. It is now safely stored in this ship's library."

"So it's what, plan "B"?" I asked with the same type of anger Barry had. We looked at each other with understanding.

That's when Kara suddenly perked up, "Uh, but wait. If the book can rewrite destiny, can it bring back Earth-38 or any of the other Earths?"

"Trying to re-create an entire world would surely drive one to madness." The Monitor explained as Kara's hope faded, "The book is powerful, but there is always a cost. Using it for something that big could make a person go mad or even kill them. I wish it could, this is not how I saw events unfold, but as the Anti-Monitor gets stronger, I grow weaker. We must find all 7 Paragons or we're all doomed."

"How about, like, a hint?" Batwoman asked

"I have 4." The Monitor said looking around the room, "Kara Zor-El, despite all you have endured, you are the Paragon of Hope. Sara Lance is the Paragon of Destiny and I only have descriptions for the other two Paragons. One is of a second Kryptonian, who is said to have suffered a greater loss than most mortal men could endure. Today, he stands as the Paragon of Truth."

"And the fourth?" Kara asked

"The Paragon of Courage is known only as the Bat of the future. Earth-99 exists in a future time where Bruce Wayne has dedicated himself, body and soul, to fighting crime. The path to find him will lead you to the Paragon of Courage." The Monitor explained

Ray became stiff with a look of shock on his face. He looked around at the group trying to see if anyone else was as excited as he was, "I'm sorry. Go back. Bruce Wayne is the Dark Knight?"

"If we could all keep that to ourselves, that'd be great." Kate muttered as Ray straightened his posture.

Clark, Lois, and Iris were going to go find the Kryptonian. Barry, Mia, and Sara were going to find a way to bring Oliver back. While Kate would go look for her future cousin with Kara by her side. I wanted to join Kara, but I also just wanted time alone. I left the comms room and entered one of the side rooms. I was looking back at the footage of Earth-38 being destroyed when someone walked into the room.

The second his voice rang out every hair on my body rose to a point, "An entire universe wiped from existence is distilled down to a computer graphic. How sad is that?"

The anger inside of me boiled over and I lunged at him. I used my speed to appear in front of Lex, grabbing his shirt, and slamming his back into the wall. I gritted my teeth as I yelled, "Lena killed you!"

"Yeah. Only for a little while." Lex looked me over with intrigue, noticing something was different. "You've changed, Carly. Last time we met you were just Supergirl's best friend, easy hostage, but now something is different. You're stronger. Faster. Meaner. What happened to you?"

"Let's just say I transformed." I said, baring my fangs at him.

His eyes went wide with shock only to go back to smug within seconds, "You were turned into a vamtronian. That is interesting. Yet that is not all I see, you have darkness inside of you. This transformation has made you more angry and violent. You want to beat the Anti-Monitor...no, you want to kill him."

"You have no idea what you are talking about."

"Don't I?" Lex questioned as he looked into my eyes, "I have been traveling down a dark road for quite a while, Carly. Evil can sense evil and it is all over you. You want to be good, but you need blood to survive and everything you feel is heightened. You get a little too angry and murderous rage could set in. You are not a good guy, Carly, just as much as I'm not."

I sensed movement and turned to see Kara and Kate walk into the room. When Kara saw Lex she stopped dead in her tracks and became angry. Before she could attack him the Monitor appeared in the room, "Everyone has a part to play, even Lex Luthor."

I looked at the Monitor and took a step back from Lex. He fixed his suit and gave me an annoying glare. Meanwhile, Kara couldn't keep her anger handled, "You did this? You brought that poisonous snake back?"

"His destiny was unfulfilled. Lex Luthor still has an important role to play." The Monitor said

"So you can revive him, but you can't bring back Oliver?" I asked

"I restored Luthor long before the crisis caused my power to wane."

"And what about those innocent lives on Earth-38? Did they not have destinies to fulfill? I'm sorry, but I can't trust a man who thinks Lex Luthor is an ally." Kara ranted as she left the room. When she left, the Monitor vanished. Kate wanted to punch Lex, but decided to follow after Kara instead.

I began to go after them when Lex grabbed my arm, "You will go evil at some point, Carly. Whether it be during this crisis or after. You are a wolf in sheep's clothing just as I am. Don't pretend you are anything different."

I pulled my arm out of his grasp and ran after Kara. When I found her, she was alone, as Kate had wandered off to prepare to find Bruce. Kara looked just as broken as I felt, "Kara, I'm sorry about earlier. I was mad at myself, not you. Can you forgive me?"

She looked over at me and her frown turned into a smile, "Of course, I can. It's just now that the Monitor has brought Lex back, everything is jumbled. I don't know if I should trust him, let alone go find a Paragon for him."

"Kara, listen to me." I said as I sat down next to her on some crates, "He is our only shot at bringing everyone back. If he says Lex is a part of it then we just have to trust he's right. What other choice do we really have? The universe is being erased and we are the only people who have the capabilities to stop it. Sometimes you have to make hard decisions to save the day."

Kara smiled with understanding, "When did you become so smart?"

"I learned from the best." I said with the same smile.

Just then Harbinger ran into the room with Lois, Clark, and Iris by her side. Their sudden arrival made Kara and I stand up just as fast. We noticed how worried each of their faces were and it made us nervous. I looked over at Kara just Harbinger told us the news, "Lex is gone."

"What do you mean Lex is gone?" Kara asked

Clark took a step forward and explained, "Harbinger found Lex in the library with the book of destiny. He vanished just before we could grab him. He's…"

"Planning to kill every Superman on every earth he comes across." Lois finished

"Why am I not surprised?" I asked aloud to myself.

Kara clenched her fist, but tried to keep calm, "Why don't I come with all of you to find the Kryptonian? If Lex is an issue, I can help you handle him."

"No, you can't." Harbinger insisted with urgency, "You need to be there with Kate to find the Paragon of Courage. She needs help on this."

"But I can't let Clark do this on his own."

"Why don't I go with them?" I asked as the group all looked over at me, "I might not be a Krytonian, but I have powers. If something happens I could help."

"Well, then its set. Carly will go with Clark and the others while Kara goes with Kate." Harbinger restated

"One kink in the plan." I said as everyone looked toward me with confusion, "I can't go in the sun without bursting into flames."

"As long as you cover up and stay in the shadows you will be fine. I will get you the gear you will need. Just leave it up to me." Harbinger said with a smile.

Kara wasn't happy about it. She still treated me like I was a human, weak and powerless. Yet now I had super-like powers. Now that I was a half vamtronian, I might as well use my abilities for something. Otherwise, I might turn dark like Lex tempted. I knew he was just trying to get under my skin, but part of what he said hit home because deep down I knew he was right.

* * *

Kara went with Kate to Earth-99 while Lois, Clark, Iris, and I went from Earth to Earth to try and find our Superman. Harbinger had gotten me a black long-sleeved sweater, black pants, thick shoes, sunglasses, a brimmed hat, and even a black umbrella. I looked like a spy on a mission or a criminal, choose your pick. I thanked her with a fake smile and we went our way. The four of us went to almost 10 earths and Lex had always gotten to Superman before we had the chance to save him. The last earth we made it to was Earth-96 and we had finally beat Lex.

"Ray tracked Lex's last breach to this Earth, so he can't be far." Iris said looking down at the watch Ray had given her. It had tracking capabilities for all the Paragons, which came in quite handy.

We entered the Daily Planet and noticed an office at the end of the hall with Clark Kent plastered on it. He was the Chief Editor which made our Clark a little jealous has he hadn't made it to that high of a position yet. We peeked into the glass walls and found a man at the desk.

They began to enter when I noticed the entire office was glass. My clothing helped, but being in that much sun made me quite uncomfortable. Just going from earth to earth was taking it out of me. I grabbed Iris' arm and pulled her back, "I think I should wait out here. At least out here there are shadows I could hide in."

Iris looked at all the glass walls and then back at me, putting her hand on my shoulder, "Carly, you can do this. Just stay closer to the inside of the room. We will try to do this quickly and then you can go back to the safety of the ship. I promise."

I reluctantly nodded as Lois led the way as we all went into the office. The man noticed our presence and turned around. The shock that appeared on all our faces was quite obvious and Lois was the first to point out the reason for the shock, "Uh, he looks just like Ray Palmer."

"Who?" Asked Ray look alike Superman.

"Um, do you have a second?" Iris quickly asked, ignoring his question.

"Sure. For a citizen of Metropolis, always. If you wouldn't mind contacting my assistant." Superman said holding out his business card to Iris.

She declined the business card as Lois got to the point, "It's about Lex Luthor."

Superman's smile faded to a frown. He kept his cool and tried to keep a straight face, "I appreciate your concern, but this isn't my first go-around with Luthor. I can handle him."

"That's not the point. Lex has changed the game. He isn't just some crook anymore." Our Clark warned

The sun was making me feel very uncomfortable. I wasn't lighting on fire or anything, but I felt hot and clammy. I moved closer to his desk to get into the shade of the room, when he noticed me for the first time. He looked at me with confusion as the same look appeared on my face.

"Do I know you?" Superman asked

The group looked at me and I shook my head. I took my sunglasses off and he stiffened. Superman looked toward me and truly noticed me for the first time. His eyes went wide with shock and joy. The others noticed his reaction as they looked toward me, but sadly, I was just as confused as they were.

"Carly…" Superman muttered as he walked around the desk and pulled me into a very tight hug. So tight in fact that I began to be unable to breathe. Even as a half vamptronian I needed oxygen. Luckily, he pulled away and scanned my face to see if I was real, "I thought you were dead."

I grabbed his hands and pulled them away from my face. I explained and tried to be nice about it, "I'm not your Carly. I'm from another earth in a whole another universe. I'm sorry."

That's when Iris' reporter brain kicked in and she asked, "How did your Carly die?"

Superman pointed at the wall behind us. The wall was filled with plaques each with a name. Jimmy Olsen, Lois Lane, and Perry White to name a few. I stepped closer and noticed my name near the bottom with another beside mine. My stomach dropped when I noticed Kara was listed. I knew she wasn't my Kara, but it still made me feel sick.

Superman bit his lip and explained the tragedy, "A reject from Gotham felt that we didn't cover him enough, so he played what he called a practical joke and gassed the building."

"All these people died?" Lois asked

"My friends, my wife. I lost everyone in one fell swoop."

"What about Kara? She has superpowers like you. How could she have died in that gassing?" I asked

"She died trying to save you. The other you." Superman said as I turned to face him, "You were trapped on the top floor and Kara flew up to save you. The gas was more potent than Kara and I thought, meaning it could kill her. I told her not to risk it, but she couldn't leave you to die. She tried her hardest to get you out, but the gas got to be too much and she collapsed. I tried to save her, but by the time I got there it was too late."

I began to cry and the others were in sad moods as well. I was the reason Kara died on this earth. It wasn't me, but it was. I wiped away the tears in my eyes as our Clark pieced it together, "Almost as if you've been through more loss than any mortal man could endure."

"I think we just found our Paragon." Iris said with a small smile as she turned to look at Superman, "We need you to come back with us. I know this sounds insane, but you might be the key to saving the multiverse."

"That's actually one of the least insane things I've ever heard, but first, we stay and face Luthor." Superman said as he vanished and returned in his suit.

Our Clark smiled and did the same, "And you won't do it alone."

That's when Lex decided to appear in the room. Both Supermen prepared for a fight as Lois and Iris crossed their arms with annoyance. I wanted to attack Lex, but I held back as Lois threatened him, "We won't let you kill him, Lex!"

"Oh, I've moved on from that." Lex said with a mischievous smile, "Never thought I'd say this, but I'm tired of killing Supermen. So much more fun making Superman kill Superman."

Lex lifted his hand into the air and whispered something. The book lit up as Earth-96 Superman began to gasp. He collapsed onto his knees holding his head. Clark tried to help him, but Superman quickly got up and wrapped his hand around his throat, "You don't belong here."

"We're here because we need your help." Clark gasped as he tried to rip the other Superman's hand away from his throat.

Superman scoffed and looked directly at me as he said the next thing, "Help? I couldn't even save my wife, my friends. I don't care about your universe."

"Yes, you do. You're the Paragon of Truth." Iris begged

"There's only one truth. I serve Lex Luthor." Superman said, throwing Clark out the window as he flew after him. When glass shatter a beam of light hit my uncovered face and I used my speed to appear in the darkest part of the room. The burned healed almost instantly as the two supermen were flying around fighting one another with Lex just standing there, laughing.

Lois and Iris to my side and helped me stand up, "What are we going to do about him? If we don't hurry, they will kill each other."

"We need to get that book from him." Lois whispered

"And fast." Iris said as Superman threw Clark into a building across the way. We looked at each other and knew what had to happen. Luckily, Lex was standing in the shade of the room so I used my speed to appear behind him and use a vase from Superman's desk to knock him out. When he hit the floor, Iris and Lois grabbed the book.

They began to pry the book open as I noticed blood on the vase I hit Lex with. My attention was locked onto the blood as it dripped down the vase and landed on my hand. Nothing else mattered except for it. I began moving my face closer to lick the blood off the vase, but Iris snapped me out of it, "Carly, help us with the book."

I broke out of my trance and noticed both of them looking at me with worry. I dropped the vase and quickly ran over to them. They looked a little scared, but they weren't afraid of me. So I helped them open the book as all three of us held the book open.

Lois looked down at the page and figured out what had to be done, "Picture the Clark that we met. Focus on what the universe knows he's meant to be."

Just then Superman threw Clark into the room, right through one of the still intact windows. He approached Clark and was preparing to punch him again. Iris was the first to point out the problem, "I'm pretty sure it's not working."

"It's like...it's like Lex turned all of his love into hate." Lois explained

That's when it hit me. I left Iris and Lois to hold onto the book as I approached Earth-96 Superman, "Clark, this isn't you, not the real Clark, the one that Perry White respected and Jimmy Olsen looked up to and Lois loved. Not the one who risked his life to save his cousin who flew into a building to save her best friend."

"You know nothing about me or them!" Superman yelled

"We know more than you think." I said as I kept my cool and channeled my inner Kara. She was always better at dealing with emotions than I was, "They would want your memories of them to lift you up, not drive you to darkness. That's the truth, Clark, and the truth means everything to you. Remember who you are."

Superman grabbed his head as he squeezed his eyes shut. Our Clark got off the floor and came to stand beside Lois. Superman suddenly relaxed and opened his eyes.

"You okay?" I asked

"Actually, this is the second time I've gone nuts and fought myself. I'm sorry for what I said as I meant none of it." Superman said looking over at the unconscious Lex, "Now, let's go save the multiverse."

* * *

When we arrived back at the Waverider, Barry was back with his group. I looked toward him with question in my eyes and he shook his head. I stepped forward and pulled him in for a hug. I knew this Lazarus Pit was the only thing that could've brought Oliver back and I knew how much Oliver had meant to Barry.

When we separated from our hug the Monitor had come into the room, "Well done. You have succeeded in finding the Paragon of Truth. Lex Luthor played his role. He led you to him."

Superman stepped forward as Sara, Barry, and even Mia's eyes went wide with surprise. I explained why he looked like Ray just as Kara and Kate came into the room.

"Yeah? How many more people did he hurt to do that? The Bruce Wayne we met wasn't the Paragon of anything. He was cruel and broken. He killed the Superman of his earth." Kara said as she looked over and noticed Superman, "Whoa, Ray. You are looking jacked."

"No, no, no, no. This is your cousin, sort of...he's Superman from Earth-96." Our Clark explained

Superman pulled Kara in for a hug and Kara awkwardly hugged back. Then Kate got to explaining why they didn't come back with their Paragon, "Uh, so Batman tried to kill Kara, and now he's dead, so we're doomed."

"We shall see. I believe Dr. Palmer's work is now finished." The Monitor explained

Ray came into the room and looked at Superman with the same shock as everyone else had. This time Superman had a similar look of shock, "Wow, so this is the man everyone says I look like. Less muscular, but I see the resemblance."

Ray tried to retort, "Well, I might not be a hulk of a man, but I have the brains of three. Plus, I don't wear underwear overtop my pants."

The group giggled at the comment and Superman, instead of getting angry, joined in on the laughter. Ray awkwardly smiled and then headed over to his machine to explain what it was, "So this is my new invention. I've never actually built a Paragon detector before. This will be the trial run to find the final 3. Everyone might want to take a step back."

Everyone stepped back as he flipped the switch on the machine. It booted up and he pressed start. The machine began scanning and making weird beeping noises. Eventually, it locked in on a location, but it wasn't an earth. It was the ship which Ray pointed out, "Apparently, there are still a few bugs."

"Your machine works just fine. That light is the Paragon of Courage." The Monitor said

"Yeah. Well, Bruce's body isn't on the ship, so…" Kate began

"No, but you are. I said the path to Earth-99 would lead you to the Paragon, and that has come to pass. You are the Bat of the future, Kate Kane. You are the Paragon of Courage." The Monitor announced as everyone glanced over at Kate. She awkwardly left the room as Kara came over to me.

"Are you okay? I know going in the sun is uncomfortable for you. Did anything happen?" Kara asked

"I'm fine, I promise. Maybe, I'm a little toasty, but nothing I can't handle." I said as I noticed Kara looking toward where Kate had gone, "Go after her. I'm fine, Kara, really. Go check on her."

She nodded and ran after Kate. Not telling her how I felt was really wearing on me, I felt like I could burst. Superman from Earth-96 noticed my lingering look as he came to stand beside me, "You should tell her."

"Tell her what?" I questioned

"That you like her."

Once the words left his mouth, all the color from my face drained and I looked over at him with worry, "How did you know?"

He smiled and put his arms behind him, "The look you gave her when she came in earlier and the look you just had as she left was clear. It is obvious that you care deeply for her. You should tell her."

"I can't." I denied with crossed arms, "With everything going on, I don't want to make things more complicated."

"On my Earth, you two were married." Superman said as I looked up at him with disbelief, "You were. On the day of the gassing you had come to visit Kara for your 5 year anniversary. She was out to lunch and when she came back the gas was consuming the building. She went to save you, but she knew getting you out was impossible. So rather than living without the love of her life, she died holding your hand."

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked with tears in my eyes.

"I am telling you this because you love her and if this Kara is anything like the one I knew, she loves you just as much, if not more. Waiting will only make things worse. This might end in tragedy. Wouldn't you want to be holding the one you love when the world ends?" Superman suggested

"I just don't know…" I began

"Carly, listen to me." Superman said grabbing my arms, "You might not be the Carly on my earth, but she had these same worries. Don't let your worry of failure outweigh your chance of love. Tell her how you feel before the world ends."


	15. Kara, I Love You

Everything was going to hell. The wave was still traveling across the multiverse, destroying everything in its path. We all met in the comms room and Kara was the first to address the issue, "Listen, the anti-matter wave is still ripping its way across the multiverse. We have to get everyone we can to safety."

"Calculations still show that Earth-1 will be the last place for the wave to hit." Cisco said as he came out of one of the other rooms.

"Shouldn't we try to find the other paragons first?" I suggested

Ray agreed and motioned for all of us to follow. He turned his machine on and Cisco typed in a few codes. At first it was buffering and only showed the 4 Paragons we already knew about. Then when Cisco gave it a tap, 3 more pictures came on the screen. Only one of them was a surprise.

Ray examined the results and explained each Paragon as it popped on the screen, "Barry is the Paragon of Love, J'onn is the Paragon of Honor, and Dr. Ryan Choi is the Paragon of Humanity."

"Who the hell is Dr. Choi?" Batwoman asked

"Dr. Ryan Choi is a physics professor at Ivy Town University on our Earth." Ralph stated as the others looked at him with surprise. He looked around in confusion as he further explained, "What? Ivy Town was my old stomping grounds."

Iris rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips, "Well, then I guess Ray, Ralph, and I can go find this doctor. I'm better at getting to people anyway."

Ralph looked almost offended as The Monitor appeared in front of the group, "This is why I have been preparing all of you, testing and pushing you to your limits. I needed your courage, your honor, your strength of will, even the truth of your convictions, everything that makes you the greatest heroes because that's what it will take to defeat the Anti-Monitor."

"And what exactly does this guy want?" I asked

"To eliminate the multiverse and replace it with another universe. One that he can control. I should've foreseen my connection with Harbinger could be perverted to his ends." The Monitor explained

Harbinger had vanished yesterday and we all expected the worst. Sadly, this was when Sara decided to tell Diggle his best friend was dead and that his wife was missing. He came aboard instantly and he was pissed. His anger boiled over at the Monitor's words.

"Should have? Just tell us how to get her back or I might have to beat it out of you." Diggle threatened

"I want to find her just as much as the rest of you." The Monitor said as he looked around the room, "...but I cannot rewrite what has already been written. I can only attempt to save what remains."

"Well, we don't have much time. Let's go." Ray said as Iris and Ralph followed after him. Ray and Ralph left the room as Barry pulled Iris off to the side to get a more personal goodbye.  
Earth-96 Superman noticed my look and came to stand beside me, "I think it's time you tell Kara."

"What if she rejects me?" I questioned as we both watched Kara leave the room to get some air.

"There is only a few earths left in the entirety of the multiverse." Superman said as I looked up at him and he looked down at me, "If this all goes sideways, this might be your last chance to do something about it. Don't let your fear get in the way of your love."

I realized he was right. That's when I decided it was finally time. The world was ending and if I didn't say this now, I might never get the chance to. I thanked him and ran after Kara. When I found her she was in her quarters all by herself.

I was so nervous I thought I might pass out, but I tried to keep a confident front so she wouldn't suspect anything was wrong. Yet I completely forgot about her super hearing so it was obvious something was wrong. I stopped in the doorway of the room and made myself known, "Kara, can I talk to you for a moment?"

Kara noticed I was shaking and became worried. She thought something might be seriously wrong, but noticed nothing outwardly different. Kara moved up beside me and placed a hand on my shoulder while she asked the most despised question ever created, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. It's just that I have to tell you something. I...I…" I stuttered as my nervousness was getting the better of me

"Carly, you can tell me anything. What is it?" Kara asked, squeezing my shoulder.

I looked into the endless pools of blue that were her eyes and knew I had to do this. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to calm my breathing. I can do this. I know I can do this. This might be my last chance. I took a breath and blurted out the one thing I always wanted to tell her, "Kara, I'm in love with you."

"Carly…" Kara began

"Don't...just let me get this off my chest." I interrupted with conviction, "When Deirdre said I felt deeply for you, it wasn't because I thought of you as a sister. When I said you were everything to me, I meant it. You truly are everything, but not in a sisterly way. Do you remember the first time we met?"

"Yeah, it was in fifth grade. We were on a field trip to a local farm."

I bit my lip with a smile, "A few kids were making fun of you since you had only been at school for a few months and you were still considered the "new kid." They made you cry and you stormed off across the field. No one followed after you, except me. I caught up to you just as you used your laser vision to turn ¼ of the corn field into black mush."

"When I noticed you had seen me, I tried to explain how I did it. Saying I burned the field with laser pointers and gasoline." Kara remembered as we both burst out laughing.

"Of course, I didn't believe you. I knew what I saw and yet I never told another soul." I said sitting down on the bed with Kara following suit, "I kept your secret because the second I saw you, nothing else mattered. When you began trying to explain how you did it, you grabbed my hand and electricity went through my body. That was the first moment I knew I was in love with you."

I noticed Kara was about to speak, but before she could say a word I interrupted her, afraid she was about to reject me before I got everything out, "Everytime I see you, my heart beats faster, my hands shake, and I can't think of anything else, but you. I love your squeaky laugh, your sparkling blue eyes, and your hair that is somehow always perfect even though you fly through big gusts of wind. You are everything that is perfect in this world, Kara. You are strong, confident, heroic, honest, and so beautiful."

Kara began to blush, shyly asking, "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I wanted to tell you how I felt so badly, but every time I got close, something else got in the way. Whether that be fighting a bad guy or that I chickened out. I love you so much that I can't breathe when I am not with you, but if you don't feel the same way I completely understand. It's just that the world is ending and I knew this could be my last chance to say this." I said quickly

Silence ensued and I thought for sure she was about to storm out of the room with anger or embarrassment. I got off the bed and began to leave when Kara pulled me back down and cupped my face with her hands. I looked into her eyes as she looked into mine and I don't think either of us took a breath. Kara smiled and said the one thing I had always dreamed she would say to me, "Carly, I love you too."

Kara leaned forward and placed her lips on mine. A spark of energy passed between us that I had never felt before. I wrapped my arms around her waist as hers found their way around my neck. Our lips fought for control as I smiled the biggest smile I had ever made.

Kara reluctantly pulled away when we were both out of breath. Our hands were still wrapped around each other when she looked down at me with happy tears in her eyes, "I've loved you for as long as I can remember. You are the first girl I ever had a crush on. I was so scared you didn't feel the same way so I kept it to myself, but now I wish I hadn't chickened out if I had known we were both hiding crushes."

"I think this is the happiest I have ever been." I said out of breath, "It sucks the world had to be ending."

Kara smiled and intertwined her fingers with mine, "When we get through this, we will have that movie marathon, I promise you. I don't care when or how, but we will. I love you, Carly."

"I love you too."

* * *

I wanted to fix this crisis so I could bring Deirdre and everyone else back. I decided the best course of action would be to go with Barry. I went to discuss the plan with him when I caught him in a video call with Iris. I couldn't hear what either of them were saying, but I could see the sad look in both their eyes. They were saying goodbye. Not a see you later goodbye, but a last goodbye. When the call ended, I ran to Barry and saw his wet eyes.

"Barry, what's wrong?" I asked

That's when he told me. Told me everything. He told me of the newspaper warning, the Monitor telling him of his death, Barry seeing himself die, the preparations for the team, and what date he was supposed to die.

I swallowed the spit in my throat with anger, "Ray or Clark or some other hero could have helped you figure this out. Why didn't you say anything?"

"I didn't say anything because I knew there wasn't a fix." Barry said with honesty, "I didn't want to get everyone's hopes up to crush them. I saw the future and I know my death is the only way everyone I care about lives. Wouldn't you do the same if you were in my position? Wouldn't you sacrifice yourself to save everyone else?"

I knew that answer instantly. Yes, I would sacrifice myself for everyone else. I understand where he was coming from, but it still hurt, "Barry, I get it. I would do the same thing, but you can't just go to your death without fighting. You're just going to leave your family? Your friends? Iris? I mean, I might not be close to you, Barry, but I consider you a friend. I would have loved to know this was happening because maybe I could've helped you."

"Really, Carly?" Barry asked with anger in his tone, "Same goes to you with not telling me about you becoming a vamtronian. Ever since Elseworlds I have considered you a friend and you just decided to not tell me? What if I could have helped you?"

"Barry, that's different."

"How is that any different?" Barry asked

"It's different because you knew months in advance that this was going to happen. You knew you were going to die and instead of finding a way to live, you gave up. I was turned into this against my will, Barry!" I yelled causing Barry to jump, "I was made into this monster, kidnapped by someone I thought was my friend, tortured for days, almost died protecting Kara, then I bit Kara, got thrown into this goddamn crisis, and felt my sire die. I didn't tell you because there was nothing you could have done. But you're a hero, Barry, and there is a chance you can still be saved!"

Barry looked down at his feet and shyly looked back at me, "I had no idea…"

"Yeah, I haven't even talked to Kara about how bad I feel." I admitted as I took a deep breath, "I will never grow old, never die (unless killed), and I need blood to survive. I'm a goner, Barry, but you aren't. You are always there with optimism in your eyes, why is this time any different?"

"I just don't want to watch everyone I love die." Barry said as a tear rolled down his cheek, "I already lost Oliver. I can't see anyone else die. If my death stops their suffering, I am willing to make that sacrifice."

"You want to die?" I asked

Barry shook his head, "Of course not. I don't want to leave my family, friends, or Iris. I am afraid of death, I always have been, but sometimes heroes have to make the sacrifice play. If my death can save countless others then I have to try."

"Then I'm going to be there with you." I said while he tried to say no, but I kept talking, "If you are meant to die today, I'm going to be there for you. You shouldn't have to face this alone."

I placed my hand on his shoulder. Barry put his hand on mine and squeezed. He then pulled me in for a hug and pulled back just as quick, "Thank you."

"Let's go save the multiverse." I said with a smile.

Cisco and Caitlin had went on ahead to try and get the door open. When we portaled in they were already at work opening the door. We came up to them only to notice Pariah was standing there. We were confused at his presence, but Cisco explained, "Pariah has helped us get the code for the door. Once we get inside, we can actually stop the anti-matter wave right at the source."

Cisco placed his hands on the door and pressed the symbols in a certain order. The door lit up like a Christmas tree as the tunnel began to shake. We all closed our eyes and when we opened them the door was open. Cisco led the way into the cave while we followed suite. It was filled with tech, but the piece of resistance was the giant machine in the middle with a beam of light coming out the top.

Pariah stepped forward and explained what the machine was, "This place is the nexus between the anti-matter universe and your own. This cannon is the source of the wave."

I half-listened to what Pariah had said as I noticed a blur on some sort of treadmill. For a second I thought I saw a face, "Guys, I think this blur is alive."

Before any of us could stop him, Barry ran full speed at the treadmill. When he hit the forcefield around it he flew back into the adjoining wall. All three of us, as Pariah had vanished again, ran to Barry's side.

"It's a force field. I couldn't get through." Barry said as he looked over at the treadmill, "It's the Flash from Earth-90. He's trapped on that treadmill."

* * *

Kara was in the library just thinking about what could happen in this Crisis when the Monitor appeared out of nowhere. Luckily, she already had a question prepared for him, "Can the book bring back the destroyed Earths?"

The Monitor explained it could, but with a price, "The book channels ancient and endless power. It takes immense willpower and focus to make it work. You try to use it on the scale that you're talking about, and it could drive you mad."

"I'm supposed to be the Paragon of Hope, right? Maybe this is my role, to bring back my Earth and Argo and all the others. I have to find a way to fix this." Kara said

"I would highly suggest against that. You open that book, and you do not know what will happen." The Monitor warned

"Do you?"

"Kara Zor El, you are considering messing with a very old book." The Monitor said scooting closer to Kara, "This book knows the future and past throughout every universe. If you even try bringing back one universe it would take a lot of strength and even with your Kryptonian blood, you would not survive. You would be leaving the half vamtronian all on her own."

"You know nothing about, Carly." Kara said getting up from the table and storming toward the door.

The Monitor's next words stopped Kara in her tracks, "I know that she dies in this crisis."

"What do you mean die?" Kara asked

"The Anti-Monitor is planning to attack tonight. When he does the defenses will be down and the wave will destroy the earth and this ship." The Monitor explained

"Then we'll all be dead." Kara thought aloud

"All will be dead, except for the seven Paragons." The Monitor explained as that caught Kara's attention, "Those seven will be saved and taken to a place the Anti-Monitor cannot reach them. The others will be consumed by the anti-matter wave, erased from existence."

"No, I can't let this happen. Alex, Brainy, Nia, Carly…" Kara worried

"I'm sorry, you cannot save them all, but you can save one." The Monitor said pointing to the Book of Destiny, "If you so choose you can swap you Paragon status with someone else."

"Wouldn't that change how this all ends?" Kara asked

"Yes, it would. Your actions could make sure the paragons lose or maybe they will win in a different way. If you change the way of things there is always a balance." The Monitor explained as he stepped closer to Kara, "Actions always have consequences, so are you willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for the one you love?"

Before Kara could say anything more, The Monitor was gone. Kara stood there trapped in her thoughts as she stared at the book on the bookcase across from her.

* * *

"How did The Flash get there? The Monitor sent him away." Cisco asked

Pariah reappeared beside us, "He wound up in the Netherverse where the Anti-Monitor found him, corralled his speed, and used it to build his Anti-Matter Cannon. He test-fired it, destroying Earth-2."

"Harry's gone?" Barry asked aloud to no one in particular.

I had never met Harry, but I heard the team talk a lot about him whenever I got to see them. I helped Barry stand up and gave him an empathic look. He just kept losing people and I pitied him.

"Pariah, how do we stop it?" Caitlin asked

Pariah pointed toward the cannon, "The force field that contains it is anti-matter based. As such, anything made of positive matter cannot penetrate it."

That's when I saw Barry's idea face appear as he looked toward Cisco, "We have to get the Flash off that treadmill. The Monitor said Vibe had to live, that he had a purpose. Maybe, this is it."

"Wait, you have your powers back?" I asked with shock as I was clearly not part of that conversation.

"Long story." Cisco said as he raised his hands.

He opened a portal in and out of the forcefield so Barry could run through and grab the other Flash. On the count of three he used his speed to get The Flash to safety, but the second the treadmill stopped, the lights turned red.

The Flash took a breather with a warning, "Thank you for the reprieve. But you gotta put me back on it."

"Guys…." Cisco said as an alarm went off with blaring sound. Since my ears were so sensitive the sudden noise made me collapse to my knees. Caitlin noticed my pain and kneeled down beside me.

The Flash looked from us then back to Barry, "The Anti-Monitor designed that treadmill with a failsafe so that if I ever got off of it, it would erupt, destroying all remaining Earths at once. We only have a few minutes. Put me back on that treadmill."

"No, all right? We'll find another way." Barry reassured

Suddenly Pariah was gone only to return with another person. He was in a suit made of black and yellow, a giant lightning bolt on his chest. The man looked around bewildered just as we were confused by his presence. I looked at the others to see if they knew who he was, but they were just as clueless as I was.

"Where am I? Who are you? Send me back to Freeland now!" The man yelled at Pariah

"Calm down, Electric Guy." Cisco warned with a hint of humor.

The man looked toward Cisco with annoyance, "The name is Black Lightning. Now I don't know who you people are or where I am, but take me home. Now!"

"That is not an option, Jefferson Pierce." Pariah said as Black Lightning looked over at him, "I brought you here to save lives. I am Pariah. This is Barry Allen, Cisco Roman, Caitlin Snow, and Carly Brecker. They need your assistance to save this earth."

"This earth?" Black Lightning questioned

"There are multiple Earths, Jefferson, many Earths like this one." Pariah explained as he placed his hands behind his back, "Your Earth has just been destroyed by a wave of anti-matter. I transported you here just before it was erased to help us save humanity."

Black Lightning's eyes went wide as he realized what Pariah had truly said. His family, his friends, everything he held dear was gone, "You should've saved my family, not me!"

Barry noticed the situation was getting hairy so he stepped forward, "Jefferson, I'm so sorry. Right now we need your help to stop this anti-matter wave. I can't imagine how you're feeling, but I do know how it feels to lose your family. Please, help us."

Black Lightning knew he didn't really have another choice so he nodded. Cisco smiled at his acceptance, "That machine behind you is the source of the anti-matter wave. We have to disable it, but we can't get near it. Can you contain that much energy?"

"Let's find out."

Black Lightning stepped forward and tried to contain the energy. He was holding it off, but he wouldn't last forever. All of us knew if he continued to do this it would kill him. They needed a better plan fast and The Flash from Earth-90 was the first to point this out, "Black Lightning is gonna kill himself if we don't solve this soon."

"Then we need more time." Barry said with gritted teeth, "Every second that we waste here another Earth dies. That wave gets closer to my wife."

"I was married once, too." The Flash said as Barry looked toward him with genuine surprise, "Tina always said that keeping me running was her purpose in life, so as someone who's been running for 30 years, let me tell you. Sometimes, in order to find your purpose as a hero, you gotta take a couple steps back. Reverse the way you see the situation and see a bigger picture."

Those words clicked in Barry's mind and he realized what he had to do, "That's it. I know how to stop the cannon. This is what The Monitor meant that day in the Time Vault. This is what I've been running towards all these years. It's time for Flash to vanish in Crisis."

Pariah explained what Barry would have to do, "Reversing the treadmill's directional velocity could make the anti-matter wave recede and funnel back into the speed cannon destroying the machine and the wave. Ending this once and for all. Freeing me from the Anti-Monitor's control."

Barry walked over to us with sadness in his eyes. We all knew he was saying goodbye, but none of us wanted it to happen. Caitlin was the first to announce our thoughts, "I don't wanna say goodbye."

"You two were there the first time I opened my eyes as the Flash. I couldn't be the hero I am without you guys." Barry said as he brought them in for a tight hug, "Tell Joe and Iris I love them."

"We will."

I looked over at The Flash and he looked determined. He noticed my glance and mouthed, "hold him." I was confused at what he meant, but I could tell his intentions. So, when Barry came to say goodbye to me I grabbed his hands and held them behind his back. The others were confused at my action, but I looked at them with hopeful eyes.

Barry struggled in my grasp as the The Flash appeared before him. He placed his hand on Barry's chest as Barry gasped for air. Lightning from Barry was traveling up The Flash's arm. Barry was feeling weaker and weaker as he asked, "Barry, what are you doing?"

"I'm momentarily stealing your speed. You play the speedster game long enough, you learn some neat tricks." He said, helping Barry lay down as he explained further, "Novu said the Flash must die in Crisis. He never said which one."

The Flash stood up as he motioned for Jefferson to stop. Black Lightning took a step back as The Flash looked toward Cisco, "Open a breach. I need to get in the force field."

"No." Cisco refused

"Do you want your friend to die?" The Flash asked as he knew the answer was no. None of us wanted to lose Barry and he knew it to, "This wave needs to be stopped and I am willing to make the sacrifice. Let me do this. Let me save you all."

Barry tried to beg Cisco not to, but he was having a hard time breathing as it was. Cisco looked from The Flash to Barry and back again. He didn't want to lose Barry, he couldn't, so Cisco opened the breach for The Flash. Before entering The Flash looked down at Barry, "Keep riding the lightning, son. I know you'll make us all proud."

Then he was gone. You could see the blur running in reverse as the machine began shutting down. Everyone knew it would kill him. Barry got up and began banging on the force field. I tried pulling him back, but he wouldn't budge.

He looked toward Cisco with pleading eyes, but Cisco stayed strong, "You made me team leader, and sometimes, the leader has to make the tough choices."

The room began to tremble and collapse in on itself. Cisco opened a breach as Pariah, Black Lightning, and Caitlin ran through. Cisco and I tried to convince Barry to come, but he didn't want to leave The Flash to die. Cisco and I looked toward each other and decided we had no other choice. We each grabbed an arm and dragged Barry through the portal.

When we arrived, I was out of breath and shaking. I had never met Earth-90 Flash, but seeing him sacrifice himself for Barry was so very heartbreaking. He gave up everything to stop that wave and he would never be forgotten. When we got back, hugs were exchanged, but nothing was more beautiful then when Iris saw Barry.

Iris walked into the room and stopped dead in her tracks when she saw him, "Iris. I told you I'd come running home to you."

She ran to him and kissed him with passion. She squeezed him with a tight hug and never wanted to let him go, but she had questions, "It wasn't you, then?"

"It was the Barry Allen from Earth-90." Barry admitted

Ralph stepped forward with a person beside him that I did not recognize, "Everyone, this is your Paragon of Humanity, Ryan Choi. Scientist, super brain, and ready to help save the universe."

"How do you guys plan on doing that, exactly?" Ryan asked

Just as someone was about to explain. Another person appeared in the room. We all looked over and saw Habringer. Diggle's eyes went wide with a smile, "Lyla."

She smiled back at him as they hugged each other tight. Harbinger began explaining what had happened as suspicion came to a few of us. Luckily, I was standing near Barry as he felt the same way.

"What if the Anti-Monitor wanted Harbinger back on the ship? He has been controlling her for most of the Crisis." Barry whispered

"And controlling you." Earth-96 Superman said as he motioned to Pariah, "Only allowing you to appear when he wants you to see…"

"A great tragedy." I finished

Lyla suddenly went stiff and a creepy smile appeared on her face. She blinked as her eyes turned pure white. Diggle took a step back as the rest of us did the same, "It is time to end the age of heroes and everything you hold close."

"Lyla?" Diggle asked

The Monitor shook his head, "That is no longer your wife, John Diggle. She has been taken by The Anti-Monitor."

"Lyla! You have to fight him, Lyla!" Diggle yelled

Harbinger looked toward him with annoyance. She grabbed the front of his shirt and threw him across the room. Then with a snap all of us were on the floor with an invisible weight keeping us there. We watched as Lyla shot a beam of energy at the Monitor with murder in her eyes, "It was foolish to try to stop me, Novu."

"No, Mobius. It was foolish to allow your creation in the first place."

The Anti-Monitor laughed as the Monitor collapsed to the floor. Then in horror we all watched as Earth-1 was destroyed. The Anti-Monitor allowed us to stand up so we could look out the windows to see that Earth-1 was gone.

"It is done. The infinite Earths are gone. Soon only the anti-matter universe will remain." The Anti-Monitor laughed

Realization appeared on Pariah's face as he understood what his purpose was, "I know what I must do."

Kara realized it was time. She looked over at me with tears in her eyes, "Carly, I'm sorry."

I noticed the Paragons were being teleported somewhere else by a gold beam coming from Pariah's hands. I looked at her confused as I noticed the beam of light was heading for me and not her, "Kara, what did you do?"

"I had to. The Monitor told me of your fate and the Book of Destiny was right there. You have as much hope as I do, Carly. You will be a perfect Paragon of Hope and when you help save the multiverse we will be reunited once again." Kara cried

"Kara, no." I begged

"I love you, Carly."

I pulled her in for a hug just as the beam of light hit me. One moment I was in her arms and the next I was in a dark broken room. I looked around and saw the other Paragons looking just as confused. I started shaking as pain radiated throughout my body. Not a physical pain, but an emotional one. Kara sacrificed herself for me, knowing she might stay dead.

"What the hell just happened?" Batwoman asked

"This is the Vanishing Point." Sara said as she looked around at everyone and noticed their confusion, "It's a point outside of time and space."

"What happened to the Waverider and the others?" J'onn asked

"The Anti-Monitor...he used Harbinger to attack us. Pariah must have sent us here knowing that the Anti-Monitor could not follow." Superman explained

"Well, we have to go back. We have to go back right now!" Barry yelled with need. He was as broken as I felt because Iris was his soulmate just as Kara was mine. After not dying he finally felt like he could be with Iris and then his hope was taken from him again.

"Barry, we can't. They're gone." J'onn said

I stood there in silence gritting my teeth as I tried to hold back the tears in my eyes. That's when Barry looked in my direction and noticed me for the first time. He was shocked because I wasn't supposed to be there.

"Carly, what are you doing here? Where's Kara?" Barry asked as the others looked toward me with the same confusion.

"She switched places with me." I cried as I was at the point of sobbing, "She crossed off her name in the Book of Destiny and switched it with mine. Kara did it because she believed I had just as much hope as she had, but right now I have no hope whatsoever."

I collapsed onto my knees and burst into tears. Barry appeared beside me and pulled me in for a hug. He lost his love just as I had and he understood my pain. The others looked on with empathy just as Superman began to glow. Barry and I pulled back from one another as Superman collapsed onto his knees.

I was the closest to Superman so I ran up to him and he fell onto my lap. Light was escaping from within his body and none of us knew what to do. He was growing weaker and I couldn't lose another person, even if I had only known him for a few days, "Come on, Clark. Please. Don't leave us."

"Fix...it. Fix it." Clark gasped

"How?" I asked frantically

Superman looked at me with belief in his eyes as his whole body was absorbed in light. I backed away from him while his body began to change shape. Then a burst of red light filled the room and when it was gone, Lex Luthor was in his place. Seeing his face broke me and I snapped. I grabbed the collar of his dumbass suit and lifted him into the air, fangs fully extended. The others tried to tell me to put him down, but I needed answers, "Lex, what did you do?"

"Well, I held the Book of Destiny and I saw the seven Paragons due to be stranded at the Vanishing Point, and I thought destiny could use a little rewrite. Following in poor ol' Supergirl's footsteps." Lex said as he held up a page from the book with 7 symbols. Kara's was crossed out with my name and Superman's was crossed out with Lex's, "So, what do we do now?"


	16. Crisis Averted

"Carly, put him down." Barry warned, stepping closer to us.

I looked at him with shock. Lex was the bad guy, how could Barry be defending him? I looked at Barry with confusion, but never let go of Lex, "Why should I? He swapped with Superman. We are down a Paragon, two if I don't cut it. We will suffer due to his actions, shouldn't he be punished?"

I squeezed harder on Lex's throat and looked up at him with dark eyes. Within the small of fear in his eyes was satisfaction. He knew there was darkness in me and now it was coming to the surface.

Lex looked down at me with a smug smile, "Kill me, Carly. Show everyone what you really are. Let the darkness in. Kill me!"

"Carly, listen to me." J'onn said, taking a step forward so he was standing beside me. He placed his hand on my shoulder so I would look at him, "Kara, wouldn't want you to do this. Lex might be a horrid person, but we are the last 7 people alive. We need to work together, even if it is for a short while. Think of what Kara would do."

Kara wouldn't kill Lex, even if she really wanted to. I knew if I killed him, when she came back, Kara would be disappointed in me, maybe even angry. I wanted to end this crisis and run into Kara's arms proud of myself, not the other way around. So, instead of ripping his throat out like I wanted to do, I slowly set him back on his feet.

We had to figure out what we were going to do. With both Kryptonians down for the count, we had to think of a good plan and fast. Sadly, none of us knew where to even start and that is when time slowed down. Months went by and we had nothing.

Sara didn't believe in a tomorrow anymore. Kate trained every hour of the day for a fight that may never come. J'onn mediated for hours on end. Ryan and Lex tried to repurpose the broken technology of this place to find a way out, which just made Lex annoying. Barry had vanished soon after we arrived and no one had heard from him since. While I had lost any sliver of hope that I once had.

My bloodlust was getting to high levels, but I refused to hurt anyone. So, instead, I suffered in silence. Lex taunted me every day and I was getting to the point that I might actually kill him. I was clammy, weak-legged, shaky, and my stomach was twisted in knots. I knew drinking blood would fix the issue, but I would rather suffer than touch any of them.

All of them knew why I was in this condition, even Ryan somehow understood. I had each of them try to offer me some blood and I refused every time. I wasn't going to hurt any of them because if we got off this dumb Vanishing Point, they needed to be strong.

Ryan and Lex called us to the main room as they thought they found a way out of this god awful place. We all met up, me shuffling in last. Everyone looked at me with worry, but I ignored their looks and tried to seem confident. Ryan flipped on the device and sparks shot out at everyone. When he began to explain what made it spark, a bright light filled the room and Barry flew into the wall behind us.

I was the closest to Barry so I crouched down beside him. He looked just as bad as I did, if not worse. His eyes were sunken in, skin pale, and he looked so skinny, "Barry? Barry, are you okay?

"Where am I? Where am I?" Barry asked in bewilderment.

Sara stepped forward so Barry looked in her direction, "The Vanishing Point. You've been gone for months. Where did you go?"

"Months? No, it couldn't have been months. I just left two seconds ago." Barry mumbled with conviction, "I went into the Speed Force, well tried to. I didn't...I couldn't, it was like running a mountain at Mach 10. I couldn't...there's no way out of here."

Barry got up and was prepared to run again. Even in my weak state I couldn't let him go. I grabbed his hand and tried to hold him back, "Barry, wait. You look spent. You need to rest."

"No. I'm fine. I have to try again." Barry said, ripping his hand from my grasp.

He tried to make his way through the group, but each of us continued to block his path. All of us telling him to stay put, which just made him more and more agitated. Sara was the last straw.

Sara stood in front of him and placed a hand on his chest, "Barry, that's a bad idea, okay? The effort alone could kill you. We can't let you do this."

"So try and stop me!" Barry yelled

"In the condition you're in, Barry, it's not gonna be that hard." Sara threatened

I knew this was going to get out of hand so I appeared between the two and became a sort of wall, "Cut it out! Whatever's going to happen is not going to include us turning on each other. Maybe you're right. Maybe the Speed Force is our last hope…"

Suddenly creaking could be heard from behind me. We all looked in that direction to see a mysterious figure in black come from the darkness. When he lifted his hood, we realized it was Oliver, "It is. The Speed Force is the key to saving you. It's the key to saving everyone."

Barry stepped forward with eyes the size of dinner plates, "Oliver?"

He was in shock, but also surprise and a tint of joy. Just seeing Oliver again brought a small smile to his face. Yet what Oliver said next made his smile completely fade.

"I am Oliver Queen, but I'm also something more. Some might call me a ghost,

a Spectre that's in tune with the entire multiverse." Oliver explained

"So there's still a multiverse out there?" Ryan asked with hope in his eyes.

Oliver shook his head, "No. It's gone, replaced with its antithesis. An anti-matter universe. Which we need to prevent from happening. Right now, the Anti-Monitor is at the Dawn of Time, fighting to make permanent his destruction of worlds."

"Then we go there, and we end him." Kate suggested

"He's extremely powerful. The 8 of us might not be enough." Oliver said, looking directly at Barry and I. The others weren't looking great, but Barry and I looked like we were at death's door, "We need a backup plan."

"You have our attention." Sara said with crossed arms.

"Several millennia ago on a planet named Maltus, Mar Novu attempted to travel to the birth of the universe, but instead opened a breach to the anti-matter universe." Oliver explained

"So the Monitor gave us the Anti-Monitor." Lex thought aloud

"Correct. So while some of us fight at the Dawn of Time, others must go to Maltus and prevent Novu from freeing his doppelganger." Oliver explained

"I'm in." I said with conviction. The others didn't look as confident in me, but nodded their heads anyway.

"Travel to an alien world? So in." Ryan said looking toward me with a big smile.

"Same." Lex muttered as Ryan and I looked back at him with annoyance, "Come on. You know you don't want to risk letting me out of your sight for even a millisecond. Besides, I like to see you squirm."

Barry looked from Lex then back to Oliver, "We need the Speed Force to travel, but I can't get into the Speed Force right now. It's probably because there's no multiverse left, but you said you're in tune with the multiverse. Does that include the Speed Force?"

Oliver stepped forward with a warning, "What you're asking me is very dangerous, Barry."

"But possible." Barry said with hope, "You could give me the energy boost I need. Please. We have to do this. Everyone's lives depend on it."

Oliver caved and placed a hand on Barry's forehead. Barry suddenly looked as healthy as ever with a pep in his step. Oliver smiled and looked directly into Barry's eyes, "I've unlocked your potential, Barry. Do you trust me?"

"Are you really Oliver Queen?" Barry asked. Oliver looked at Barry with honesty and nodded his head. Barry exhaled a deep breath, "Then I trust you with every cell in my body."

"Good. Now run, Barry. Run."

* * *

Barry with his new heightened strength took us where we needed to go. He dropped Ryan, Lex, and I at Maltus while taking the others into the Speed Force. Ryan and I landed gracefully while Barry had thrown Lex into a giant pile of leaves. We laughed at Lex as he stood up and wiped the crumbles of leaves off his suit.

Ryan and I also got to our feet as Ryan looked around in awe and confusion, "Why doesn't this alien forest look more alien?"

I looked around and noticed the same humanistic forest, but it wasn't important right now. We needed to stay on task, "Let's focus. Mar Novu could be anywhere, and it's not like we can just do an Internet search for him."

"Well, actually, maybe we can." Ryan admitted as he pointed toward the city ahead of us, "Any city that large has to be a bureaucracy. Bureaucracies require some form of central data bank to function. We find that, we find Novu."

"That's actually not a bad idea…" I began as I noticed Lex was trying to sneak off. I turned around and yelled after him, "What do you think you're doing?"

"What you should have done the moment Flash dropped us off here. Checked out the lay of the land, looking for hidden dangers. We are on an alien world. Any number of creatures could be lying in wait." Lex warned as he began to walk off again. I ran up to him with Ryan keeping his distance, but staying close.

"I may be weak, Lex, but I can still kick your ass. Whatever it is you're planning, I'm gonna figure it out, and I'm gonna stop you." I said

"I doubt that. In a contest of mind over muscle, mind wins every time. Besides, you barely have the strength to stay on your own two feet. I bet you want to sink your teeth into one of us right now. I bet if we gave you opportunity you would try to kill us, but here. Let me make it easy for you. Ask me what I'm up to. Go ahead."

"All right. What are you up to, Lex?" I asked with crossed arms.

"Universal domination, of course."

Lex lifted his arm and an energy beam shot from his fingers. I didn't have any time to react before I was airborne. I was thrown into a tree and then everything went black. I could hear Ryan trying to stop Lex, but he was also knocked unconscious. A short time later Ryan woke up and came to my side.

"Carly? Carly, please wake up." Ryan begged, shaking my shoulders.

He continued to yell my name until my eyes fluttered open. I looked up at him as relief covered his features, "Ryan? What happened?"

"I think Lex pulled a Luthor on us." Ryan said, pulling me onto my feet, "On the bright side, I haven't been knocked unconscious on an alien planet before."

"It's pretty much the same as being knocked unconscious on Earth." I said as I looked him over, "No broken bones. You'll be fine."

"Thanks. This definitely makes me question again why I'm here. I haven't got special powers or, you know, powers in general. I'm pretty much the dictionary definition of unspecial, and I definitely don't feel like I'm a Paragon of Anything, let alone humanity." Ryan worried

"Ryan, you aren't the only one who feels unworthy." I said with sad eyes, "I'm not even supposed to be here. Kara switched places with me and now I have to live up to her greatness. I wouldn't even be able to come with you guys if it wasn't a cloudy day today because otherwise, I would be ashes by now. I'm barely holding it together, so I understand your worries, but you were chosen. Chosen for a purpose. You are meant for this, I know you are."

"Are you sure you guys got the right guy?"

"You left your family because someone you never even met told you you were needed. I'd say that makes you pretty special." I admitted

Ryan smiled and looked down at his feet, "I don't know about hope, but you're definitely the Paragon of Pep Talks."

"Yeah, I've gotten years of practice, but right now we need to catch up to Lex." I said as pain shot through my side, causing me to double over. Ryan tried to help me stand up straight again, but I shooed him away. After the pain subsided, I stood back up, but I needed a minute, "First, let's take a short break."

"Carly, you don't look too good." Ryan pointed out

"Yeah, don't really feel it either." I retorted with a gasp. I knew I was dying, but I didn't really want to admit it to myself. I knew the second I drank blood this pain would be gone, but I couldn't. Ryan didn't agree with my opinion.

"Well, then we are going to have to solve that." Ryan said, taking off his sweater while extending his arm toward me, "Drink from me."

"I'm not going to bite you, Ryan."

I pushed his arm away and gritted my teeth as the pain returned. We both knew I was our best shot at catching up to Lex so Ryan offered his arm to me again, "You need your strength, Carly. I am merely a human. We need your strength and speed to catch up to Lex and save the world of this crisis. We will lose if you continue to weaken. Now, drink from me."

"Why are you offering me such a thing?" I asked, looking toward him with dark eyes, "You learned I was a vamtronian a month ago and we have barely spoken since Ralph retrieved you. Why are you offering me something so valuable? If I lose control, I could kill you, Ryan. You may never see your wife or daughter again. Do you want to risk that for a stranger?"

Ryan thought about it for a moment, but he didn't change his mind, "You aren't a stranger, Carly. In the last few months while we were stuck in the Vanishing Point, I learned a lot about you. I know you are kind, quiet, sarcastic, and would rather be in pain yourself then hurt others. I get it, Carly, but we don't have time for this. I need you, the world needs you. Drink from me so we can get our loved ones back."

"I'm not going to bite you, Ryan. You need to be at full strength for this fight. I will manage." I said getting up from the tree only to collapse onto my knees.

"Carly, you know you can't." Ryan insisted, crouching down beside me, "I might not know much about vamtronians, but I have seen my fair share of vampire movies. The only way you will heal is if you consume blood. Waiting too long could kill you and we need all the help we can get. Don't worry about taking my strength, I have enough to go around."

"Ryan, no." I insisted

"Why? Why are you fighting against the one thing that can help you?"

"Because I don't want to be a monster!" I yelled, causing Ryan to jump, "I don't want to feed on people to get better. I don't want to take something from others to sustain myself. I only bit Kara because I had no other choice. If I had, I would have never laid my teeth in her neck. I don't want to bite anyone, Ryan. I don't want to lose control and become a monster. So please, don't make me do this."

"Carly, you aren't a monster."

"I am a monster...I truly am. I am just like the vampires from movies. I can't go in the sun without covering myself head to toe, I have the strength to kill, and I drink blood. I need blood to live, Ryan. I sustain myself on other people's life force. That is what a monster does and that is exactly what I am." I said, looking down at my feet.

Ryan shook his head and offered his arm to me a third time, "You are not a monster. Kara would not have given up her Paragon status if you were. She believed in you, I believe in you. Take enough to regain your strength so we can stop Lex and save the universe. You are the Paragon of Hope so act like it."

I didn't respond for almost a minute because I knew he was right. I didn't like it, but deep down I knew what he was saying was the truth. I took his arm in my hands and looked into his eyes to make sure this is what he still wanted. He looked nervous, but kept his ground and nodded. I took my attention back to his wrist and sunk my fangs into his skin.

He gasped and then as most did, he moaned. He tried to hold his breath because he knew how uncomfortable this already was. The taste of his blood exploded in my mouth in ecstasy. I didn't truly realize how hungry I had become until I tasted his life force. Both of my hands clung to Ryan's arm for dear life as I sucked the life out of him.

I wanted to keep going and take every last drop. I got close to stealing his life from him, but then I heard Ryan begging me to stop. His words cut through my haze like a machete in the rainforest. I lifted my mouth and wiped the blood from my lips. Ryan looked dazed, but alive. He wrapped up his arm with a piece of his shirt and looked at me with a smile, "You ready to save the universe?"

"Ready and able."

Ryan was dizzy, but he would survive. I warned him my speed was nothing like The Flash's, but that didn't mean I was slow. He got on my back and I gave him a piggyback ride to the city. Only one of the buildings, the biggest building, had the lights on. We snuck in through the back and found Lex talking to The Monitor.

"The experiment you're conducting will not only destroy you but your planet and your wife." Lex warned

"Another ancients zealot. I am so sick…" The Monitor began

"Don't know who they are. I'm not even from this universe." Lex interrupted with annoyance, "What I am from is the future, so I know exactly how your little time-jumping experiment will go wrong, and I am willing to share my future knowledge with you. That is, if you are willing to use your abilities to deal with some "super" problems in my world."

"I do not have any abilities."

"Stick with me, kid. Soon you will have more than you could imagine. So what do you say? Team up?" Lex asked as Novu seemed reluctant, "You might want to take my deal. You basically tore a little hole in the space-time continuum, opened a doorway into something called the anti-matter universe."

"Matter and anti-matter cannot coexist."

"Hence a lot of bad stuff happening that we would just as soon not have happen, so I think what we need to do is adjust the ronstrom coefficient." Lex said

Ryan and I looked at each other and realized it was time to make ourselves known. We stepped out from the doorway and I caught Lex's attention, "Mar Novu, do not trust this man with anything! Give him a knife for his food, and no matter how much he thanks you for the dinner, he'll stab you right in the back with it."

"Or the front. I'm not choosy."

"Last time, you caught me by surprise. That's not gonna happen again." I said with a hiss to my tone. I turned to Ryan, "Get Novu out of here."

Ryan nodded and stepped forward. He lightly grabbed Novu's arm, in fear Novu might attack him, "Come with me, sir, please."

Ryan escorted Novu out of the room while Lex and I stared each other down. We began to circle one another when Lex gave the first remark, "You look stronger. Did you get your blood fix, Neck Biter?"

"Maybe I did, Lex, but right now that doesn't matter. What does matter is you trying to twist things to your advantage again. Do you ever give up on this mission to ruin lives?" I threatened as our circling began to get smaller, "Do you care about anything? The world is literally gone and this is our last chance to save everyone and instead you are trying to mold something out of it."

"I might as well, who's gonna stop me?"

Lex lunged himself at me, but I dodged just in time for him to miss. He ran at me again his hands landing on my shoulders and pushing me backward. My feet slid across the stone tile as I pushed against him in the same manner. I grabbed him, twisted him around, and flipped him over my shoulder; his back slammed into the floor with a crack.

He quickly got up to a crouching position and shot an energy blast into my chest. I went flying across the room, did a flip mid-air and landed gracefully on my feet. He began rapidly shooting at me as I dodged each beam with ease. I appeared before him and used my speed to hit his foot, causing Lex to fall onto his back. I straddled him while holding his arms down beside his head.

"You were saying?"

"You an interesting creature, Carly." Lex said as he struggled to get his arms free, "If you weren't so good, you would be a perfect asset for me. You would be an amazing body guard if you drank blood regularly instead of last minute. You know you could join me. Instead of pretending to be the hero we all know you aren't."

"I might not be a hero, but I will never be like you." I said with poison on my tongue, "You hurt people for your own gain and I am not going to do that to myself. I might be a vampire or vamtronian or whatever, but that doesn't mean I have to be a monster. Not all monsters do monstrous things."

Lex was preparing to try and shoot me again. I grabbed his hand tightly and began squeezing. I would have broken his hand had not Ryan ran into the room, "Hey! Stop trying to kill each other. I got through to Novu."

I looked down at Lex and reluctantly got off of him. He pulled himself up and wiped the dust from his clothes and began to rub his now sore hand, "You just ruined a perfectly good bad guy plan, you know that, new guy?"

* * *

The three of us were in a place I did not recognize. Ryan almost collapsed as he wasn't at his full strength and that sudden speed made him weak-kneed. I helped him stand up as the other paragons appeared beside us with Barry appearing last. Everyone noticed my better demeanor and smiled. Ryan was the first to question what the hell was happening, "Where are we?"

"This is the anti-matter universe at the dawn of time." Oliver explained as he appeared in front of us and pointed at the figure in the distance, "We arrived, and he was already here."

"That's impossible." Ryan said dumbfounded with surprise, "I got through to him. I know I did."

A booming shock of electricity hit the ground about 200 feet in front of us with the Anti-Monitor appearing from the smoke, "Some fates are inescapable. You spoke to one man across countless universes, but within the tapestry of the multiverse, there will always be one Mar Novu who cannot turn from his towering ambition, and in that inevitability, there is destiny."

"All of you, listen to me. This is why you were selected. You're Paragons." Oliver announced as we stood strong together, "It means you're powerful enough to hold the line, to buy us the time we need. To rebirth the universe."

"What, like, a do-over?" Sara asked

"The Dawn of Time is the only place it can happen. I'll light the spark, you fan the flame."

Then Oliver and the Anti-Monitor were gone, the dementor-like beings took their place. We all looked at each other and ran full speed at the monsters. They were easy to dispatch with a simple punch, but with the multitude of them it was tedious and tiring work.

Each of us took out the beings in our own way. I would slash them to shreds with my strengthened nails, Barry would dissipate them with his speed, Lex shot them with beams of power, J'onn flew around them, and the others used their skills to punch them into nothing. I looked over and noticed Ryan was smiling as he took one out himself. I smiled back just as one knocked me on my ass.

I was about to get up when the thing grabbed me and pulled me into the sky. I struggled against its grasp as the ground got farther from my feet. How could a ghostly thing have this much strength? I fought against it and used my nails to make it vanish. Sadly, when it vanished nothing was holding me up anymore, so I began to fall. I squeezed my eyes shut and was ready for the pain, but the pain never came.

I opened my eyes to find J'onn had caught me inches from the ground, "Thank you, J'onn."

"Anything for family."

He set me down and we continued our battle. This went on until a ball of fire appeared on the ridge above us. The appearance of this fireball caused all the dementor things to vanish. We all grouped up and watch the ball of fire twist and turn.

"What is that?" Ryan asked aloud to no particular person.

"I'll light the spark, while you fan the flame." I muttered as a realization hit me like a brick wall. I looked toward Lex, "He said you would know what to do."

"I think dying kind of messed with his head." Lex retorted

"Well, think. You're meant to be the genius." J'onn said with annoyance.

"A genius who's had the fortitude to read The Book of Destiny and retain his sanity. There has to be something special about you. Think harder." Sara threatened

"The Book of Destiny." Lex whispered as it came to him. He turned to the group, "I made myself the Paragon of Truth. What if truth can tell us what we need to do? Use what's left of the book to fan the flame."

"How do we all use the book?" Ryan rightfully asked

Barry and I looked at each other at the same moment. We were both thinking the same thing, but Barry let me explain. I moved in front of the group and explained how we use the book, "We focus. A singular, laser-like focus. Humanity, truth, love, destiny, honor, courage...and hope."

The group agreed to the plan since it was the only one we had. We stood hand in hand and focused on why we were Paragons, sending that focus to Oliver. Suddenly, the beam of light from the center of the fireball vanished and the ball exploded. The sky above the ledge began to glow and twist as if it were alive.

"Oliver!" Barry yelled, taking a step forward.

Sara and I did the same. Sara was the first to speak our thoughts, "Barry, get us there."

Barry grabbed our arms and took us to Oliver. When we arrived on the ridge, the Anti-Monitor was nowhere to be seen, but Oliver was lying there gasping for air. We all kneeled beside him, Barry and Sara on one side and me on the other. Tears formed in our eyes because we all knew what was happening.

Oliver looked up at Sara and Barry, "I need both of you to watch over my family."

"Hey, Ollie. They're gonna be fine, all right? You're gonna be fine." Sarah denied as she tried desperately to hold back the tears. She knew what she was saying was futile, but she had to say it. Even thinking of losing Oliver a second time, made her heart ache.

"You did it. You all did...you all did it." Oliver muttered, looking up at the sky.

The three of us looked up to see a swirling vortex of sorts. It was twisting and turning, a light shining from the center. It was like it was alive. None of us knew what we were looking at it, but it was beautiful. The most beautiful thing any of us had seen in a long time.

"Oliver, we see it, but what are we looking at?" I asked

"It's the new universe." Oliver said, looking from the sky to each one of us, "You all did it. You saved the multiverse."

We all noticed how tired Oliver's eyes had gotten and Sara wasn't ready to let go yet, "No, Ollie, you did it, okay, and that's why you gotta come back with us, so we need you to hang on, okay?"

"Sara, this is just what the Monitor said would happen. There was an end. And there's a beginning." Oliver said, swallowing the spit in his throat and turning to look at Barry, "You remember what I told you?"

"Dying is the easy part."

"I'm at peace." Oliver said with a small smile, "The real heroes…"

"They're the ones that have to keep going."

"So keep going...and don't ever stop. This world, this new world...it needs you...all of you." Oliver said, turning to look at me, "You did good, Carly. Kara...would be proud."

"Oliver, don't go. This new universe needs you. They need heroes." I cried

He weakly smiled, but looked honestly into my eyes, "It has heroes. It has you. You might have darkness in you, Carly, but if someone like me can be redeemed so can you. Don't ever stop fighting."

I nodded while a tear rolled down my cheek. He looked up at the sky and closed his eyes with a single tear cascading down. The tension in his face loosened and his head dipped to the side. All three of us began to sob just as our surroundings got brighter. We knew this new universe was beginning to grow and we wouldn't have much time to say goodbye.

Barry leaned forward and with teary eyes, finally got to say goodbye to his dear friend, "Thank you, Oliver."

Everything around us lit up in a bright flash of white light. One minute we were at the dawn of time and the next I sat up on Kara's couch. I was hyperventilating as I fell onto the floor. I heard movement and someone crouched down beside me. I looked up and saw those ocean blue eyes I remembered.

"Kara?"

"Are you okay? Did you have a bad dream?" Kara asked, helping me to sit back on the couch. She sat down beside me with worry, making sure I didn't hurt myself falling onto the floor.

I looked around bewildered and confused, "I don't know. I'm...How did I get here?"

"Well, you fell asleep in front of the TV, and you just looked so peaceful, so I didn't have the heart to move you to the bed."

I rubbed my eyes and a voice in my head whispered the dawn of time. The words brought everything back and made me realize this felt weird. Something was off, that couldn't have been a dream. I wouldn't have imagined something so awful

I got off the couch, "Wait. What is...this isn't right. Well, I mean, it's right, but it's not right...because it's right. This feels weird, does this feel weird to you?"

Kara looked even more worried than she had before, "No, not really. Last night you were almost killed by Remus, but we saved you. After biting me...you passed out. Alex helped both us back here and you fell asleep on the couch."

Her words confused me, but then it truly hit me, "That's not even what happened. I bit you and then the Monitor showed up. We had to deal with a crisis and you…"

"Carly, I think you are more tired than I first thought. Why don't you lay back down and we can chat again later." Kara suggested, placing her hands on my crossed arms.

This wasn't right, I know this isn't right. It couldn't be. I pushed her hands off and decided I needed answers, "I...I gotta go."

"Carly, you aren't feeling well. Stay here." Kara begged

"I can't. I'm sorry."

I walked around Kara and went to the front door of her loft. I looked back at her and she looked worried, really worried. Probably thinking I lost my mind. I exhaled and left, slamming the door behind me. This couldn't be right. I couldn't let this be right because if it was then I never confessed my feelings to Kara. Which means she had no idea.

I shook those thoughts out of my head and left the building. I needed to talk to someone. Someone had to remember what happened. I made my way across town toward the DEO. I had to pray someone there could help me, otherwise I was going insane.


	17. I Remember Everything

I was making my way to the DEO when I passed a billboard with the news blaring. I stopped and listened in, "It is now time to announce the winner of this year's Nobel Peace Prize. This person is heroic in his own right, even if he doesn't have superpowers. I am proud to introduce this year's winner, Lex Luthor."

"What?" I asked myself completely dumbfounded.

The screen followed Lex as he walked onto the stage. He accepted the award and stood at the podium with a speech, "We live in dangerous times. Earth is a dangerous place. I suppose that's why people love superheroes so much. The power, the chutzpah of someone who can fly faster than a speeding bullet. But that's what makes this so special. I don't have any powers. I can't leap tall buildings in a single bound, but I have dedicated my life to fighting on the side of humanity, and to be recognized for that is more than I can put into words, so I will just say I stand with mankind."

"I'm gonna throw up." I muttered

Everyone around me was cheering for Lex and I was surprised. He used to be enemy #1 and now he was the city's favorite. What the hell did he do? I looked from the screen and noticed a blur of red run past me. I would recognize that blur anywhere, but why was Barry on my earth? I began to run toward the direction Barry went when I bumped into someone. I turned to apologize and that's when I noticed J'onn standing there.

"J'onn?" I asked as I ran up to him and hugged him tight. When I pulled back I let it all out, "Please tell me you know what is going on. Kara doesn't remember the crisis and Lex is suddenly getting a Nobel Peace Prize. Am I going crazy?"

J'onn shook his head, "You're not going crazy. It all happened. The crisis, the battle, all of it. Lex getting a prize must be part of his next evil plan. I heard he's the new boss of the DEO as well."

"You're kidding?!" I exclaimed

"No, I wish I was. Sadly, this new world has some kinks." J'onn sighed

"If it all happened, why are we the only two that remember?" I asked with crossed arms, "Kara thinks we escaped Remus last night and that it ended with us going back to her apartment. She has no idea what actually happened. What...I told her..."

I went silent for a moment and actually held back tears. The second I finally tell Kara I love her and the damn cosmic universe makes her forget. J'onn had understood how I felt for Kara so he placed a hand on my shoulder, "We only remember because we're Paragons. We helped Oliver restart the universe and this is the result. I suspect there will be more such changes that are yet to reveal themselves, but we will figure this out. I promise you."

"How are we going to do that when we are the only ones to truly know what happened?" I asked

"I think I can fix that." J'onn said as I perked up instantly, "The Paragons will remember, but our other friends won't remember a single detail. I think I can use my psychic abilities to link my consciousness with them long enough to reveal what truly happened."

"Will it bring back everything?" I asked

J'onn nodded with confidence, "I believe it should. We just need to find everyone."

"Before I bumped into you, I saw Barry run past." I admitted

"You go find Barry and Kara. I will find everyone else. I will contact you with the meeting place. Hold out till then." J'onn said, flying off into the sky.

I quickly got myself together and ran in the direction I saw Barry go in. I got to the pier just as Barry apprehended a girl with a very large staff that had caused a lightning storm, awesome actually. I got closer just as Kara appeared. She began talking to the girl when Barry cuffed her. I kept my distance until the two started talking.

"Sorry, she's one of mine." Barry said

"Well, what's she doing on my Earth?" Kara asked

"Your Earth? This is my Earth." Barry questioned

I was about to come out from behind the car when an older gentleman approached the two, "Supergirl, Flash, I just love it when you guys team up. Would you sign this for me please?"

Barry took the photo and the sharpie, "Oh, sure, um...you know both of us? And it's normal to see us together?"

"Well, normally you'd also have Green Arrow and a Legend or two. Last year, even Batwoman joined in. Make that out to Marv. M-A-R-V. " Marv exclaimed

"Marv, as far as you know, how long have Supergirl and I and all the rest of us been working together on this Earth?" Barry asked

"Uh, since forever."

Marv took the photo from Barry and ran off in excitement. Kara and Barry looked at one another with complete confusion and that was my cue. I left my hiding spot and approached the two heroes, "I can help with your confusion."

"Carly...are you okay?" Kara asked, still reeling from when I left her apartment.

"I'm fine, but that doesn't matter right now." I said turning my attention to Barry, "It all happened, Barry. The crisis, the battle, Oliver. It all happened."

Barry almost started crying again when he remembered what Oliver had done. I stepped forward and squeezed his arm to give him some comfort. Kara looked from Barry and back to me with utmost confusion, "What are you talking about? What Crisis? What battle? And what happened to Oliver?"

"J'onn will be able to squash your confusion when we meet up with the others. He will help you remember."

* * *

We arrived at the Arrow's secret base to find many of the others already waiting. Sara ran over and hugged Barry tight. She nodded at Kara and I and we did the same to her. The three of us were met with Diggle, Cisco, Caitlin, Ray, Batwoman, and a few of Oliver's friends.

"It's true, we live on the same earth." Barry exclaimed with surprise, "Our Earths must have merged when we helped Oliver reboot the universe. I can't believe it."

"Everything is now on this earth." Sara said pulling up a global map, "I had Felicity check and it's true. The DEO, CatCo, all of National City is on this Earth now. Even Argo's up there."

"We did it. We saved everyone." I said with joy.

Diggle stepped forward and shook his head, "Not everyone. Oliver. He didn't make it."

"Maybe this was the only way." Sara reluctantly said with a grimace, "Maybe his sacrifice made all of this possible. Him for us."

The silence of grief descended upon the room, except Kara. She was the only one who had no idea what actually happened. She talked to the group, "What happened? I keep hearing that our earths merged. As far as I know this earth has been this way the entire time and I don't remember a crisis occurring. Can someone please tell me what the hell is happening?"

"I can help you with that." J'onn appeared with a reluctant figure behind him. We all looked and noticed Nash standing there. I actually growled at the sight of him and I was prepared to attack him, but Barry grabbed my hand and pulled me back.

"Why are you here?" Barry asked with gritted teeth.

"I'm here to warn you. You see this?" Nash said, pointing to his blinking gauntlet, "This gauntlet is primed to detect antimatter of which there has been a massive surge in the Star City area. Something bad is going to happen. It's just the beginning."

"Are you sure that thing still works?" Sara asked with crossed arms.

Nash scoffed at her doubt, "Yeah, it's working. I built it myself. It's infallible. It is picking up high traces of anti-matter. If my calculations are correct, it's starting all over again."

The words hit home with most people in that room. Oliver died for this new world and we weren't about to let that sacrifice be in vain. Barry, Batwoman, and J'onn went to gather the troops while the rest of us stayed here to figure out what the hell we were gonna do. Before J'onn left, he connected with Kara to show her what had really happened.

He showed her everything and it took a big enough toll on her that she passed out. Even for a Kryptonian, learning about all of the tragedy can be a lot to handle. J'onn showed himself out as I sat down next to Kara. She always looked so peaceful when she slept. No worries in the world and she deserved that, but I knew when she woke up all the bad would come rushing back in.

I gently kissed her forehead and headed into the main room. When I arrived, they were discussing our next move. Nash went to the front of the group with a sigh, "According to the surge of antimatter energy I'm reading something big is going down. The readings are off the charts and only one person can cause that type of reading.

"The Anti-Monitor is alive…" I said as I entered the room.

"That would explain why that shadow thing attacked Barry and I when we went out for some air." Sara explained with realization, "Those attacks were probably just the first wave. Assassins sent to pick us off in pairs. To make the Anti-Monitor's win even more satisfying."

"Wait, you were attacked?" I asked with surprise

"Yeah, she's not the only one." Ray said stepping forward, "Before they left, Kate told me she had been bombarded on the way here."

"It's going after Paragons." Cisco pointed out.

Then that realization hit everyone in the room, but I was first to vocally address it, "Ryan…"

He didn't have the powers to defend himself against these demons. If too many got to him, they'd kill him. I decided that I had to save him. Ryan risked his life for me and I wasn't about to let these dementor-like things hurt him and his family. Everyone knew what I was planning to do and Ray was actually the one to step in front of me.

"Don't even think about it." Ray warned

"I have to." I insisted with just as much conviction. "He has no way to defend himself if too many of them attack. You are all needed here to find a way to defeat the Anti-Monitor for good. I need to do this. Let me help."

"Then I'm coming with you." Ray insisted

"Ray, no." I said, placing a hand on his shoulder, "You are an amazing friend and I truly appreciate that you care so much, but let me do this. I will get Ryan out of danger and bring him here. His brain combined with everyone else's will help in finding a way to beat this guy. Trust me, I can handle this."

"She's right, Ray." Sara chimed in with crossed arms, "We need as much help as we can get here. Carly is strong and I think she can handle a few demons."

Ray wasn't happy about it, but he stepped aside and let me walk past. Sara sent me Ryan's location with Felicity's tech and I was off. I tracked Ryan's location to an apartment downtown only a 10 minute walk from the base, but for me it would only take 5.

I was a floor down when I heard glass shattering. I used my speed to appear at his door. I tried to open the door, but it was locked from the inside. I heard a female scream as I wrapped my hand around the knob and turned until the lock inside the door snapped. I walked in to see Ryan's wife unconscious on the kitchen floor.

I checked her pulse and she was fine, just unconscious. I got up and noticed movement down the hall. I came into the room to see Ryan hiding in the corner with his baby girl in his arms. The ghost demon thing was slowly inching closer to him. I appeared behind the demon and used my sharpened nails to shred it into nothing.

Ryan looked from the demon to meet eyes with me, relief spreading throughout his body. He stood up and approached me, "Thanks for saving my ass."

"Just repaying the favor." I said as I scanned him over for injuries, "You should be fine and your daughter even better. Your wife on the other hand is unconscious on your kitchen floor, but she is breathing and there are no other complications."

"Thank God." Ryan sighed with relief and then the worry returned, "I thought those things were gone now that Oliver killed the Anti-Monitor."

"Oliver's sacrifice didn't kill the Anti-Monitor. It made a whole new multiverse with some changes, but the Anti-Monitor is still alive. That is why we need your help. We need to figure out a way to defeat him for good this time. Your brain would be of great use." I explained

"What about my family?" Ryan asked

"I will call J'onn and he will get them to a safe place, I promise. We need your assistance. Please, Ryan." I pretty much begged

He looked like he might say no, but he eventually caved. I called J'onn shortly after and he escorted Ryan's wife and child to a safer location. I on the other hand took Ryan back to the base only to return to a fight between everyone.

"Well, let's just throw him into the sun and let the bastard burn." Mick suggested

Nash slowly turned to look at Mick with such annoyance it looked like he sucked on a lemon, "Oh yeah, let's throw him in the sun and cause an antimatter explosion that obliterates the solar system. You know what, maybe let's not do that."

"At least he's trying to offer up a solution instead of being the cause of the problem." Diggle retorted

"That's the solution? Blow up the solar system?" Nash exclaimed with the belief he was superior, "The Anti-Monitor is made of antimatter, and, like its opposite, it can neither be created nor destroyed. It can only change form and move from place to place."

"So what if we do just that?" Ryan asked as the group finally noticed we had entered the room, "What if we could set off a chain reaction that will destabilize his form? Compressing his molecules so he's essentially shrinking for eternity."

"Is that kind of reaction even possible?" Sara asked

"Sure it is. I did it a bunch of times by accident when I was developing my ATOM exosuit. Essentially, we'd be sending him to the microverse. He would continuously shrink and never stop shrinking. In theory, it could work if we got to STAR labs."

"Geek team, get on it. Mick, go with 'em, keep 'em safe. The rest of us, we'll need to hold back this incoming army." Sara ordered

The geek team comprising of Nash, Ray, Ryan and now Mick headed out to Star labs. The others went to get their gear for battle as J'onn had just returned with Kate and Barry. Plus a few friends including Black Lightning, Nia, and Brainy.

"Hey, this can work, Sara. I know it can." I said optimistically

"That's what we thought back at the Dawn of Time. Here we are back at square one. It's what Oliver gave up his life to create. We have to protect it. If we're gonna go down, we go down fighting."

Sara went off to get everything ready and I headed for the bathroom. I entered the school-type facility and sprayed cold water up at my face. I sat there for a moment just feeling the water drip off my skin. I took some paper towels and dried my eyes.

"Carly…"

Her voice made my heart stop beating. I removed the towels from my face to see Kara standing behind me in the mirror. I turned around and I forgot how to speak. I could tell by the look on her face that she remembered, she remembered everything.

"Kara…"

Before I could say anything more she pulled me in for a very tight hug and cried into my shoulder, "I'm so sorry. I put so much weight on your shoulders switching places with you. I must have put you through so much grief. You went through so much pain because of me. You must hate me..."

I pulled back from the hug and cupped her face with both my hands, "You couldn't imagine what losing you felt like. I hurt within my core, but I took that pain to do something good. I knew ending this crisis meant I would get you back. I would have you back in my arms. You did what you thought was right and if it were reversed, I would've done the same thing. Nothing you do will ever make me hate you."

"J'onn showed me everything. He showed me how broken you were after I had sacrificed myself for you. I made you lose hope when I had only hoped to bring you more. You starved for months because you thought I would be disappointed. You almost died because of me."

"No, Kara. That is not your fault." I said shaking my head, "You did what you thought was best. At first, it hurt...so much. I couldn't even breathe knowing that if I didn't succeed I would never see your pretty ocean blue eyes again. I starved myself because I didn't want to take strength from the real heroes, but Ryan actually, made me realize that I am just as much a hero as the rest of them. Getting through this crisis made me realize that."

"I'm so sorry." Kara cried

"Don't be. I understand."

I pushed a stray hair from her face and wiped a tear from her cheek. I looked into those ocean blue eyes and for the first time I saw vulnerability. Kara had been sad in the past, but this was something different. She was so broken that for once I was the strong one. I smiled to reassure her I was fine, but she still looked worried.

I decided the best course of action was to distract her, so I pulled her face in close and I kissed her. The second our lips met Kara's body loosened like the world fell away. It was slow and soft, comforting in ways that words would never be. Her hands rose to my back as she clung to me with her soft touch. I pulled her closer to me until there was no space left between us, so close I could feel her heartbeat against my chest.

I would have gone on forever, but I knew a battle was about to start and Kara had to be ready. I reluctantly pulled back just far enough so our foreheads were still touching, "You did what you had to do. I'm not angry and I never will be. We need to prepare for the final battle against the Anti-Monitor. We need Supergirl, Kara. Are you ready to save the world?"

"Always."

* * *

Everyone who wasn't apart of the geek squad went to the Pier where the strongest antimatter reading had come from. When we arrived it was completely silent, eerily silent. We looked around just as the Anti-Monitor appeared before us.

He looked at each one of us with disgust, "Paragons, the universal safeguard meant to thwart me. It is time to meet your end! I am destiny incarnate, inexorable and inescapable. You are nothing. Insects fated to be crushed beneath my heel without a moment's thought. Fighting is useless. Surrender."

Sara was the one to step forward, "Not today. Not ever. Oliver died so that we could continue to fight. He sacrificed everything for this new world, and we will not fail him. We will not fail this world. For Oliver."

Each of us in unison yelled for Oliver as loud as we could. The Anti-Monitor looked annoyed, but unafraid. He believed he could win, that we had no chance, but he didn't know us well enough, "The age of heroes ends now!"

He screamed as he grew in size. When I mean grow, I mean he grew, like to the size of a skyscraper. We all looked up at him with shock and concern. I was the first to voice this concern, "Guys, we're gonna need a bigger bomb."

"Sky team, with me." Superman announced as J'onn and Kara followed him into the sky. They were flying around the Anti-Monitor, acting like mosquitoes on a humid day.

That is the moment his ghost demon minions appeared above us. Everyone began fending them off while the sky team continued to distract the Anti-Monitor. While he was distracted, Sara used her bluetooth to contact the geek squad, "Ray, how's that shrink bomb coming?"

"Well, we could really use some fast hands." Ray said

Sara looked over at Barry and he understood. He went to the geek squad as we continued to destroy the dementor things. While I was fighting I looked up to see one of the Anti-Monitor's hands heading straight for Kara, so I yelled, "Supergirl, look out!"

She looked down at me and noticed the hand. She maneuvered out of the way just in time, but Superman wasn't so lucky. The Anti-Monitor's other hand caught Clark and began squeezing. Luckily, Barry and Ray had just arrived.

Barry appeared beside Sara and I with the news, "Bomb's ready. Ray's running it to the sky team."

Ray flew up and found his way to Kara. He noticed Clark's predicament and used his tech to shrink him. When that was no longer a worry he handed the bomb to Kara with only one order, "Throw it like a girl."

"Always."

Kara grasped the bomb in her hand and threw it with as much strength behind it as she could manage. The bomb spun through the air and slammed into the chest plate of the Anti-Monitor. The second it made contact the Anti-Monitor began to shrink. He screamed as he tried to pull the device off of his armor. We all watched as he shrunk and shrunk until he was gone.

"We did it. We did it!" I yelled as the group cheered. Everyone began to hug one another with joy.

Kara was the first to point out an issue, "Wait, but where's Kal?"

"I'm right here." Superman squeaked as we all squinted to see a very small superman. He looked so tiny you could barely see the colors on his suit.

Ray apologized and returned Clark to his original size. The world was saved once again and there was something that had to be done. Black Lighting, Sara, Kara, Superman, Barry, Batwoman, J'onn, and I went to an old warehouse of STAR Labs. Oliver deserved a true funeral and so we gave it to him. Barry set up one of Oliver's suits on a mannequin within a glass case and an eternal flame, unlit for now, sat in front of it.

We all stood side by side and gave our thanks to Oliver. I was the first to step forward. I wasn't close with Oliver as I am with Barry, but in the end he believed in me and that meant a lot, "Thanks for saving us, Oliver. The world has hope again. I have hope again. We'll never forget you."

I stepped back as Barry stepped forward. He tried to keep a straight face, but it was obvious he was in pain. Oliver was one of his best friends and losing him hurt more than he would ever admit, "Thanks for believing in me even when I didn't. You had this way of bringing out the very best in all of us. I'm gonna miss you, man."

When he stepped back, Sara took his place. She had lost a lot in her life and losing Oliver was something she never thought she would have to go through, "I've lost a lot of people that I love. But I never imagined my life without you in it. You were always there for me. And now...Ollie, you changed my fate for the better. Thank you."

The others said a few words and then there was a moment of silence for Oliver. When the moment of silence was over, Kara stepped forward and used her laser vision to light the eternal flame. Then Barry had a surprise.

"What's this surprise?" Black Lightning asked with curiosity, "And why'd you choose a condemned building?"

"No, this is not a condemned building." Barry said as he motioned us to follow him, "No, listen, this is an old STAR Labs Research Facility that nobody uses, and what's even better, no one knows it exists."

"Good for you." Sara commented

"No, good for us. I figure we could all use this to gather if anything ever happens again. That way we can have a place to meet and plan our next move." Barry said with excitement.

"Why do we even need it? I mean, how often does the world almost come to an end?" Black Lightning asked as looked around at everyone who went silent. That's when he realized it happened a lot, "Oh, it's like that."

"All right, listen, I haven't even shown you guys the best part yet. You ready?" Barry asked the group.

When everyone nodded, his smile went from ear to ear. In front of us was some object underneath a giant tarp. Barry grabbed the tarp and pulled to reveal a table underneath. The group oohed and awed as they noticed the special decals on the chairs. Superman, Back Lightning, Kara, Barry, Batwoman, J'onn, and Sara had their own chair, including one dedicated to Oliver.

While the heroes were checking out the table, I was watching how excited they all were. Kara was almost giddy and it made me smile. J'onn walked from the table and came to stand next to me, "I brought you something. I think you should go check it out."

I looked at him with confusion, but he shooed me to go outside. I caved and went out the main doors. At first I didn't see anything other than a field, that is until I noticed a figure standing at the bottom of the stairs. The sight of her made me instantly burst into tears as I ran down the stairs and hugged her so tight I thought I might break her.

She pulled back from the hug just as emotional as I was, "J'onn showed me what happened. Are you okay?"

"I'm better now." I said hugging her again, "I didn't realize how close we've gotten until I felt you die. It was like part of me was missing. It was hard to even think clearly."

Deirdre also teared up as she apologized, "I'm sorry I wasn't fast enough. If I was faster and made it to one of those ships, there could've been a chance I got to you. I'm so sorry you had feel such loss. I'm so sorry."

"I'm the one who should be apologizing. If I had just answered your damn call, I might've gotten to you in time. I could've saved you. I'm so sorry I failed you."

"Are you kidding me?" Deirdre asked with shock, "You have not failed me or anyone else. You brought me back to Cillian, escaped my father who is now out of our lives, and you saved the bloody multiverse. You're a hero, Carly. Don't you ever forget it."

"I'm so glad you're back." I said with a small smile.

"I'm not the only one here to see you."

I pulled back from her confused as I turned around to see Superman from Earth-96 standing there. Deirdre left to give us some alone time as I approached Clark. He smiled and actually gave me a hug. When we separated, I had questions.

"How are you here?" I asked

"J'onn came to get me. Thought we should get a proper goodbye." Clark said

"I want to thank you." I said truthfully, "If it weren't for you, I would've never gotten the courage to tell Kara my true feelings. For that, I will always be grateful."

Clark laughed with a big smile, "You would've told her in time. I was just the nudge to roll things along. You both clearly loved each other, but were both so blind to it. One of you just had to say the words and everything would fit into place."

"Maybe one day, Kara and I will be as happy as your Kara and Carly." I hoped

"You will. I know you will." Clark said as he leaned against the railing of the stairs, "I can see the love you two share. We're all a little weird, and life's a little weird. And when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love."

"Did you just quote Dr. Seuss?" I asked with a laugh

"Maybe, but that's not the point." Clark said with the same kind of laugh, "You two are in love and from what it looks like, your in love on multiple earths. If any couple were fated to be together, I would say you two would win. You two deserve happiness and I can see how happy you two make each other. My Kara and Carly were just the same. They had the love everyone around them wish they had and I know it will be the same for you two."

"I wish we didn't have to say goodbye."

"Neither do I, but I have a world that needs my protection. This earth already has a Superman and two is just too much. I need to regain what life I had before the gassing. I need to find my happiness again and I can't do that here." Clark admitted

"I'm going to miss you."

"Don't think of this as a goodbye, just a see you later. If you ever need me, just come by my earth. I will gladly aid you in whatever you may need." Clark reassured as he walked off toward the field, "I'm always here if you need me. I hope you and Kara have many years of happiness together. You deserve it."

Then Superman shot into the sky and vanished. For now, everything was good. The multiverse might be different, but we still saved everyone. I finally had Kara and that made even the worst situation less awful. Plus, Lex might be planning a evil plot and when it comes time I will help Kara stop him, but for today I just wanted to be happy. Just for one day.


	18. Uneasy Alliance

After all the heroes went back to their own cities, I informed Kara of the whole Lex thing. She was just as uneasy as I was. We were going for coffee when a commercial came on one of the store TVs.

Kara and I stopped to listen in, "We live in a world on the cutting edge. And as mankind advances, so too does the danger it faces. For years, we protected America in secret. But now, we want you to know you're in good hands."

Then Kara flew into the commercial with a smile. I looked at my Kara whose frown was bigger than I thought she could manage. I started to laugh as the commercial ended. When the screen went black, Kara walked away and I had to use my vamtronian speed just to catch up with her angry walking. I got in pace with her just as she gagged, "I don't care what world we're on, I can't ever see a version of myself agreeing to do that commercial."

"Well, on this planet, you and Lex are best friends." I said with a mocking smile.

She turned to look at me with a shaking head, "No, stop! This is literally a nightmare. I don't think I could imagine anything worse than Lex and I being "friends." Ugh, just saying it brings a bad taste to my mouth."

"Yeah, I can imagine. Knowing everyone thinks Lex is a hero rubs me entirely the wrong way. I wish J'onn could return everyone's memories..." I said, shoving my hands into my pockets, "But, according to him, restoring the world's memories would cause a change on such a massive scale that everyone's minds would explode. Literally, explode."

"Ugh, gross."

"Yeah, 100% disgusting, but is CatCo any better? Has it changed for the worse?" I asked

"Still a tabloid. But everyone's on the Lex Luthor train, including Andrea." Kara sighed, throwing her coffee in the nearest garbage can, "He's getting some Man of Tomorrow award, and she sent me and William to cover it. I can't believe, even William, is drinking the Lex Kool-Aid."

"Well, you gotta give him a little break. The only people that know the truth are the ones whose memories have been restored and the heroes that were actually there. He doesn't know any different." I said

"Yeah, including you know who. It just makes my blood boil that he maneuvered this crisis to his own means. He took this tragedy and molded it so he would be on top. I just wish the world could see how much of a rat he truly is." Kara ranted

"Well, the Luthors are an interesting bunch."

"Yeah, speaking of which, I have to talk to Lena." Kara blurted out.

I stepped in front of Kara, causing her to stop walking. "Look, on this Earth, Lena and Supergirl are friends. She doesn't hate you and as far as I'm concerned, she isn't trying to control the planet. Plus, she doesn't remember what she put me through and the hatred there. Maybe, Lena not having her memories is a good thing."

"No, no. As much as I would love to have a clean slate with Lena, I owe it to her to tell the truth. I made that mistake once, I'm not going to do it again." Kara insisted

"Fine, then I'm coming with you." I said as she began to object, "Kara, if you are going to help her remember, I need to be there. Last time I saw Lena she gave me away to a maniac who wanted to kill me. I think I deserve to have a word with her."

Kara wasn't happy about it, but I got her to cave. She picked me up bridal style and we were off. It was nice to feel the wind through my hair while looking up at Kara's determined face. It was an adorable face and when she caught me staring, her cheeks turned a tomato red.

When we arrived we went into formal postures. As far as Lena knew we were only friends and coworkers, nothing more. We arrived on the balcony just as Lena was closing her laptop.

"I've been looking for you." Kara said as I followed her into the office, "There's something I have to tell you. I know you think Lex is a good man, that he's your partner…"

"Save it. I already know." Lena interrupted

"What exactly do you know?" Kara questioned

Lena got up from her desk with crossed arms, "The Crisis, what Lex did, what you did. What did you think would happen when you came here? That you'd tell me everything in a fit of selflessness, even if it meant that I knew how you betrayed me, and then I'd just forgive you."

"Lena, I hurt you. I know I hurt you. And I'm never ever going to do it again. And I know how much good you want to do in the world. Just think of what we could do together to help people." Kara begged

"Funny. Lex gave me the same speech." Lena said with a sneer.

"He asked you to help him? You're not seriously considering it, are you?" Kara asked with concern. Lena's reaction seemed like she was seriously considering it so Kara warned her, "Please, just be careful."

Kara knew I wanted to talk to Lena alone so she flew off the balcony. She would stay within in hearing distance in case something happened, but wouldn't intrude unless necessary. When I knew Kara was gone I looked toward Lena, "I have to ask you something. Can you please answer truthfully?"

"I have no reason to lie."

I sighed and bit my lip, "When you did all those horrible things to me, were you doing it because you believed there was no other way or did you do it just to hurt Kara?"

"I needed a lab rat and you were the perfect candidate." Lena explained without a single emotion on her face, "You knew too much and your biological makeup meant the tests wouldn't kill you. If I tested on anyone else they would die and I am trying to stop death. Hurting Kara...well that was just an added bonus."

"Did you care that you were hurting me?"

I saw a flicker of emotion on her face before that wall came right back up, "Of course, I felt back for hurting you, but sometimes you have to do terrible things to make the world a better place. I couldn't let anyone find out what I was doing and that meant I couldn't just let you go. I had no other choice."

I scanned her face and listened to her heart. She meant every word she said. She truly believed what she was doing was justified. Deep down I knew she knew all of this was wrong, but it was so buried that it might not come to the surface until it was too late.

"Lena, listen to me. I understand you're in pain and want to make the world a better place. I get that. Who wouldn't want war and famine and pain to stop? Just please don't do anything rash. I know you feel lied to and broken, but it isn't worth risking the lives of everyone." I insisted

"You have no inkling of what I feel or why I am doing what I am doing!" Lena yelled

Kara appeared on the balcony just in case things got ugly. Lena and I had never been close and after everything that happened, I didn't want to be within a hundred feet of her. But since Crisis, when I lost so many of the people I cared about, I realized that some people are worth saving. I knew deep down she hated hurting others and I just had to hope she could beat her demons.

I began to walk toward the balcony, but I stopped just before the door to look back at Lena, "I know you know all of this is not going to solve anything. Fixing humanity is not possible and if you do accomplish it, you will be just as bad as a dictator. Please, Lena, don't do something you'll regret. Don't become Lex."

Lena was shocked I would speak to her in such a way, but I didn't give her a chance to retort. Kara picked me up and we were off. Kara didn't pry into why I did what I did because she trusted me. I could tell I had gotten to Lena, but I didn't know if it was enough.

* * *

When we got back to the Institute, there were five different Brainys. Well four now, as one of them died right before we arrived. Alex had rounded them all up and got them to the lab. I looked around and all of them looked the same, well aside from the Brainy who was a girl. She didn't have his face, but the personality was uncanny.

"DNA doesn't lie, they're all Brainiac-5." Alex said, holding up the results on her tablet, "There were five of them, but one of the Brainys collapsed with a warning about some sort of bottle and to not let "Him" open it. All we know so far is it seems he was killed by some sort of biosynthetic virus."

"Alright, so someone is after all of you, but before we figure that out we need to know how you guys got here." Kara said with her hands on her hips, "Any ideas?"

The Brainy that looked like he did art with his ponytail and black turtleneck stepped forward, "Well, since this is not our world it must mean we stumbled through some sort of dimensional wormhole. From our different universes."

"The only logical path forward is to find the nexus point of our arrival, if we're ever to ascertain how it is we came to be here. Why our deceased comrade warned us we're in grave danger? What that bottle was he urged us not to open? After which, we can all safely return to our respective Earths." Girl Brainy announced, taking the lead.

"Yes, except you can't return to your Earths because the multiverse is dead…" Brainy blurted out without thinking.

"What? The multiverse, it's dead?" Nervous Wreck Brainy asked

"Unless there's a vibrational frequency henceforth unknown to man…" Brainy began as he handed a tablet to the others, "Then our universe is the only one that's left."

"That's impossible..." I said as everyone turned to look at me, "A few days back when we were truly saying goodbye to Oliver, J'onn brought someone to see me. If the multiverse was gone, then how could I have met with Superman from Earth-96? He said he had to go back to his Earth, which means maybe a few of the Earths survived."

"Yet I cannot decipher where they are." Brainy admitted with honesty, "If other Earths did survive, we can't locate them. For now, I say we move forward with the thought that there is no other universe but our own."

"So what do we do now?" Artistic Brainy asked

"We'll go to Al's bar, that might lead us to some answers."

Kara, Brainy, Artistic Brainy, and I headed to the bar and what we found was mind boggling. The bar had doubled in size and so did its patrons. There were doubles of many in the bar, including Al himself. Both Als greeted us when we walked in and I was the first to blurt out my confusion, "Why are there two of you? Two of everyone?"

"Everybody just showed up out of the blue last night." One Al said as the other finished his sentence, "Business has never been better. I had to open up the back room."

"Everyone in this bar came from an Earth that was destroyed. They're all orphans." Kara said as she looked around at all the sad faces. Her heart ached for them, "That's terrible."

"No, Supergirl! The entire multiverse was destroyed. An accident of fate kept us and these people alive. This isn't a tragedy. It's a miracle." Artistic Brainy said with optimism in his voice.

That's when the search began. Kara went back to CatCo to deal with some reporter business as Brainy, Artistic Brainy, and I got to searching. We went into the back and found an entire room filled with bottles. Each of us took a crate and got to work checking each and every one. None of us knew what this "bottle" looked like or what it even was so we checked everything. From wine to beer to water, but we found nothing.

Artistic Brainy got to work in another room as Brainy and I stayed in a different one. I could tell he was getting frustrated and I completely understood. I was getting just as irritated. He was the first to air his annoyance, "Seven hundred and sixty-two bottles of beer on the wall. And they're all completely lacking in clues."

"Sometimes this sort of thing takes time." I said, noticing his down in the dumps look, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Brainy muttered, grabbing another crate from the top shelf.

"Brainy, I'm not an idiot." I said as he set the crate on the cement floor, "I can tell you're distressed. You can talk to me, if you'd like. I have had my fair share of problems, I think I can understand, if you let me."

Brainy looked at me and sighed loudly. He took a seat on the crate he just pulled down and ran a hand through his hair. He was about to speak when he shot straight up. A look of fear plastered on every feature, "Nia.."

Before I could ask him what was wrong he ran out the door. I watched him leave the bar as Artistic Brainy appeared beside me with just as much confusion. I decided I was gonna go after him, so Artistic Brainy stayed at the bar and I ran after my Brainy. Luckily, my vamtronian speed allowed me to keep up with him.

Both of us arrived at the DEO to hear loud rattling noises coming from the storage room. We looked at each other and ran to the open doorway, Nervous breakdown Brainy or so we thought, had attacked Nia. He had a bottle in one hand and a giant saber in the other. Brainy yelled and caught the other Brainy's attention.

I used this distraction to appear in front of him and struggled with him to get the saber. Brainy ran to Nia to check on her condition as I continued to fight the other Brainy. It was a fair match until he headbutted me and I fell on my ass. He lifted the blade into the air and was prepared to lower it onto my head when Kara appeared in the doorway.

She used her laser vision to cause the blade to explode. The other Brainy ran for the door and just as our Brainy was going to go after him, Nia cried out his name. He turned back to Nia and the other Brainy got away.

Brainy carried Nia to the infirmary while Kara and I followed suit. Alex got her cleaned up as Girl Brainy came into the room and figured out how the other Brainy found the saber, "He was piggy backing off Brainy Prime's personality inhibitors to confuse the big brain and disguise his true intentions."

"What were his intentions?" Nia asked weakly

"He shrunk his entire Earth. He bottled it. The shrinking and collection of worlds is distinctly Coluan. It's a terribly common practice among our ancestors." Girl Brainy explained

"But this Brainy bottled his world to protect it?" I asked

"Yeah, but if he releases his Earth, both Earths will be destroyed. All bottles are sealed beneath the quantum level to prevent escape. Bottles can only be opened using a device that harnesses Argonium 44. He must have known the Argonium Saber would be held here at the DEO." Girl Brainy explained

"And I destroyed it so that bought us some time." Kara stated

Brainy holding back tears, stormed out of the room. Nia called after Brainy, but she didn't have the strength to follow him. I decided that I was going to be the one to talk to him. The others figured out our next move while I ran after Brainy.

* * *

Meanwhile, Lena was confused and undecided. She wanted to have Non Nocere work, but she couldn't do it alone. Lex was as untrustworthy as a rattlesnake in the desert and Kara was a backstabbing liar. Who could she turn to?

While she was deep in thought Lex came into her office with a drink in hand. He approached her, placing the drink on the table in front of her. She looked at the drink suspiciously, "Poisoning me already, Lex?"

"I'm not poisoning you." Lex said, bringing his drink to his lips, "It's a peace offering."

"Aren't you supposed to be at a ceremony or something?" Lena asked, reluctantly taking the drink.

"Success isn't worth much if you don't have anyone to share it with. I always wanted to share my victories with you, sis. Even last year, with the Kasnians, I brought you in. Doesn't that count for anything?" Lex asked

"One moment of thoughtfulness to make up for years of betrayal?" Lena said as her fake smile faded into a frown, "No."

"I know you have plenty of reasons to distrust me, but you don't know what it's like to die. The sickening desperation when you see it coming for you. It made me want to hurt you." Lex admitted

"Like I hurt you…"

"Killed me." Lex finished with no change in tone, "Death truly has changed me. The old me would be dreaming of the countless ways I could exact my revenge on you, but the new me can see how pathetically stupid that is. I'm finally ready to be your partner, Lena."

"How am I supposed to believe you? You were a sociopath, a liar, a murderer!" Lena exclaimed

"What you need is the truth." Lex said as he grabbed a container from the counter and placed it on the coffee table in front of Lena. He opened the container and a squid-like creature attached itself to his arm, "The Truth Seeker will prevent me from lying. So, sis, what do you want to know?"

"Can you help me achieve Non Nocere?"

"Better and faster than anybody else." Lex responded quickly

"Will you truly be on your best behavior? No homicides?"

Lex thought about his answer for a moment, "No unnecessary homicides. If someone gets too close, my hand may slip."

"This is about doing no harm." Lena said with a sigh, "When will you turn on me?"

"As soon as this partnership inconveniences me. Just like you'll use Non Nocere on me as soon as you get the chance." Lex said truthfully

"Good. As long as we're clear." Lena commented, her last question came to mind, "You don't need me. Why do you really want to work with me, Lex?"

"Truthfully, I don't want to be alone."

* * *

I ran into the storage room to find Brainy beginning to clean up the mess. I moved closer and placed a hand on his shoulder. He looked toward me with teary eyes, moving away from my touch. He continued to clean when I verbally told him, "Brainy, stop. You don't have to…"

Brainy looked at me and the words stopped at my tongue. He exhaled loudly and began telling me a story, "When I was eight years old, my family went on what humans might call a vacation. This was the first time I had seen snow."

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked

Brainy ignored my question and continued his story. "My mother noticed how much I loved the snow and how much I wanted to stay. So...she bottled it. A planet just for me." Brainy explained with gritted teeth, "My father was horrified at what she had done. He freed the planet. He took My Planet and I was furious; this anger scared him. He was afraid I would turn out like my mother and so he installed three personality inhibitors on me. The same ones I wear to this very day."

"Your three dots."

Tears rolled down Brainy's cheek as he continued, "When I wear them, I'm not fully calibrated with the Coluan network of minds, the big brain. If I hadn't been wearing them, that bad Brainy wouldn't have been able to fool us. Yet I am afraid to take them off. So terrified I might be worse. What if I hurt...Nia?"

"Brainy, you will never be your mother and I know you would never lay a hand on Nia." I insisted

"How could you be sure?" Brainy questioned

"Because you're loved. And the people that love you will always fight for you." I said with an honest smile, "I understand you feel a darkness in you. I have a similar darkness and I can tell you, they will not give up on you, I won't give up on you. If taking the inhibitors off goes bad, I will be there to bring you back."

"Thank you, Carly." Brainy smiled, wiping away his tears, "Kara, was right to switch places with you in crisis. Your ability to instill hope in others is just as magical as hers."

"Magic..." I said aloud as the realization hit me like a brick wall, "Earlier at the bar I saw the doubles of the witches that made Reign. The witches can open the bottle."

"He's going to Al's."

Nia, Kara, Brainy, and I headed over to the bar. When we arrived the three witches were casting a spell on the bottle while the other Brainy watched with a smile. None of them noticed us until Kara's voice rang through the room, "Opening that bottle isn't worth the risk. You could kill everyone."

"Why should this Earth live, when every other died?" Other Brainy asked

"'Cause it's the only one we've got left!" I yelled with conviction, "We can't undo the past, Brainiac. Please don't do something you'll regret."

"I'm not going to regret anything!"

That's when the fight ensued. Our Brainy went for the other Brainy as Nia, Kara, and I went for the witches. The fight was fairly matched until Kara was thrown into one of the walls. Just at that moment other Brainy threw our Brainy over the bar. Nia ran from her witch to check on him and all this made me lose concentration on my opponent.

My witch whispered something and suddenly I couldn't breathe. I began to gasp as I collapsed onto my knees. Kara got up from the floor and tried to come for me, but one of the other witches held up a forcefield she couldn't get through. I clutched at my chest as my heartbeat became loud in my ears. Each time I tried to take a breath my lungs wouldn't expand and I knew I was going to pass out soon.

Just then I looked over to see my Brainy approaching, except he looked different. The inhibitors were gone, his skin was green, and he had blonde hair. He approached the force field and walked through it with ease. This motion caught the witches' attention as all three pointed their hands at him.

My ability to breathe returned and I began to cough loudly. Kara and Nia approached the group with Kara helping me to stand back up. Brainy approached the other Brainy who looked so broken I could feel his grief in the air. Brainy stood beside him, but Kara was the first to speak, "I know you lost your whole world, your friends, your home. I miss what I had, too. I know what you're going through. How responsible you must feel…"

"I lost everything!" He cried

"My friends and I, we're pretty smart. Together, we can find a safe place to open your bottle without hurting anyone. You just have to trust us." I said rubbing at my throat.

The witches looked at one another and the leader of the three stepped forward, "If we give these people a chance, they may find a way of returning us home one day. All we can do is wait for that day. But you don't have to wait alone, we can wait with you."

Brainy reached his hand out and reluctantly the other Brainy gave him the bottle. He opened it and the four from that Earth were sucked inside, the lid sealing automatically. The problem was solved for now.


	19. A New Suit for a New Hero

Kara had to go to CatCo so I thought I would walk her to work. I needed the fresh air and spending even a little time with her without all the havoc of our lives was nice. We made it to her floor and I hugged her goodbye. She waved back as she scurried off to do some reporter business.

I turned to leave when I noticed Nia puffy-eyed and shoving a donut into her face in the break room. Instead of heading back to my apartment like I planned, I went to check on Nia. She looked up at me with teary eyes; she looked broken.

I took the box of donuts from her hands and wiped her face of crumbs. "Nia, what happened?"

"Brainy...He...he...broke up with me."

It took me a second to truly understand what she just said and I was utterly shocked. Brainy risked everything for Nia only a few days ago and now he just breaks up with her? That doesn't make any sense.

I spoke my confusion, "Did he give you a reason?"

"He said he didn't feel the same for me anymore because he was back to his true self. The part that runs on logic, not feelings." Nia wiped away the tears. "I thought I could get over this, but I can't. It hurts...It hurts so much."

Nia began to cry again as I pulled her in for a hug. I told her to take today off and with some convincing she listened to me. I told Kara about what happened and then I took Nia home. Once I knew she was comfortable, I had a mission. I headed over to the DEO because I knew that's where he would be.

I made my way through the front doors and found Brainy at his usual computer. I tapped his shoulder and he turned to face me, "I need to talk to you for a moment."

He agreed in silence as we headed to one of the training rooms so we could be alone. I was about to dig into him about Nia when he cut me off. "Before you say what you have to say. I made you something."

"Made me what?"

He left the room and reappeared with a briefcase. He set it on the metal table in front of us and opened it. Inside was a superhero suit with a base color of black and blue highlights on the arms and legs. What was most distinct was the V emblem on the center of the chest inside a similar diamond to Kara's suit. Plus it had a blue cape that matched the highlights. I looked from the suit to Brainy with surprise.

He explained. "I know you want to help out more since you have abilities now. Kara wasn't keen on you becoming an official hero, but I think it's time. I made you a suit so you wouldn't have to fight in your street clothes."

"What's the V stand for?"

"Vamtrona. I thought it fit since you are a vamtronian. If you don't like it, I can always change the suit."

"No no no." I said, raising my hand. "I love it. I love it a lot actually. Thank you, Brainy."

I got entranced by the suit and was smiling from ear to ear. Then the awe wore off and I realized why I actually came to the DEO. I was about to lay into him when my phone rang. "Just give me a moment."

I took a step outside and pulled my phone from my pocket. I didn't recognize the caller I.D. so I prepared for some creepy villain voice to speak, but luckily, it was only Deirdre. I spoke first, "How did you even get this number?"

"I asked Kara. Ever since my father was killed and the world literally ended, she's been really kind to me. Quite nice not having her shoot daggers at me with her eyes. I'm guessing you guys finally kissing helped with that."

Her words made my skin lose all the color it had, aside from my cheeks which were now a bright red. "What….what do you mean? K...kiss? No, we didn't do that..."

Deidre laughed. "I feel what you feel, remember? It isn't just pain or sorrow, I can tell when you are happy and whenever you are near Kara you are very happy. Only someone in love would be that happy. You both are really cute together, I'm happy for you."

"Is that why you called? To wish me luck?"

Deirdre sighed with a pause. "Yes and no. Can you meet me somewhere? I have something for you."

I began to decline. "Well, I'm kinda in the middle of something right now."

"Well whatever it is, it can wait. Please, it's kind of important. This can't wait." Deirdre insisted

I looked back toward Brainy and swore under my breath. I wanted to question him about Nia, but Deirdre needed me. Whatever it was sounded important. "Fine, but only for a few minutes. Meet me at Jitters."

I hung up and walked back into the training room. "I have to go meet someone, but we will continue this later. Can I take the suit with me?"

"Of course, it's your suit."

I nodded and closed the case. I reminded him this wasn't over and then I was off. Jitters was only a few blocks away, so I took my time. I couldn't enjoy the coffee anymore, but the smell still brought me happiness. I made my way to the back of the cafe and sat down on one of the couches.

I blinked and Deirdre was entering the building with some sort of cooler. She scanned the room and found me. She walked up and we quickly hugged before both taking a seat.

I looked down at her cooler. "Why do you have a cooler?"

"Why do you have a briefcase?" She asked in the same tone.

"A superhero suit Brainy made for me. And you?"

"Open it and find out."

She handed me the medium sized cooler and I set it on the table in front of me. I peeked inside, but the smell hit me first. I quickly reclosed the cooler and looked at her with concern. "Where did you get this?"

"I have a friend who works for a blood bank outside of town. When I can't hunt for animals, he helps me out. I know you live in the city so hunting for animals like I do would be impossible. I know you don't want to hurt anyone and I also know you like to wait till the point of frenzying to actually eat." Deirdre explained. "This way you can feed and not hurt anyone at the same time."

"I don't know…"

"Carly, listen to me." Deirdre said, placing her hands on mine. "I know you don't like this, but it's the only option you have. You only have to feed once or twice a week, so this should last you a month or more. It isn't as good as fresh blood, but it will satisfy you. Would you rather sink your fangs into a bag or one of your friend's throats?"

I nodded slightly. "I'm terrified all the time. Does it get easier to...control?"

"With time, it does." Deirdre reassured with a small smile. "I was born into this life so I have never known different. After a while simple cuts and scrapes will not affect you, but the hunger never truly goes away. Stopping yourself once a frenzy starts is nearly impossible, but luckily you have a girlfriend you can't harm without harming yourself. As long as she has her powers her blood is toxic, which means you can be around her without worry."

"I would never forgive myself if I hurt her."

"You won't."

That's when my phone beeped with an alert. An attack was happening at the toy convention on the other side of town. I knew Kara would be there as she was covering that story today. I shot up and was about to run off when I realized I still had the cooler. Deirdre realized what was happening and took the cooler from me. "Don't worry I'll take it back to your apartment. Go save the day."

"How do you know where my apartment is?" I asked as Deirdre looked at me and I realized I didn't really care. "You know what, nevermind."

Deirdre took the cooler back to my apartment as I made my way to the convention. I knew Kara could handle herself and they honestly didn't need me, but now that I had powers I wasn't going to squander them. I might as well use them for something good. I snuck through the back and slid on my suit, which fit me perfectly.

Sadly, I had missed the fight. When I entered the main room I noticed Brainy, Alex, Kara, and another man with his back to me. I noticed explosion burns on the other end of the room so whatever happened had to have been interesting. As I approached I could hear their conversation.

The man sighed. "Damn it. Brainy, I need you to lock on to every traffic camera in National City, and please, please find this guy."

"Winn, stop. Just breathe for a minute, okay?" Alex reassured

Winn. Winn was back. I knew that I recognized his voice. I hadn't seen him in almost 3 years, but I knew that voice anywhere. Last time I saw him I was still a shy human. Damn, things have changed.

Kara squeezed Winn's shoulder. "We're gonna find the other you, and then we'll stop him before he hurts someone."

Other you? There were two Winns...Well, that's interesting. Man, I wish I was here during the fight. I miss everything good.

"I should've caught him. By now he could have hurt someone, and if he hurts someone, I don't think you understand. My life is over. Everything! I will lose everything. My wife, my daughter…" Winn ranted

I revealed myself. "Wait. You have a wife? And a kid?"

My voice made everyone turn around to notice my presence. Kara and Alex looked me up and down with liking and surprise. Brainy also smiled just a tad as he noticed how awesome I looked in the suit. Winn, on the other hand, loved the suit, but was the only one to approach me and give me a much needed hug. When he got close I could smell the blood pumping through his veins. I bit my tongue because biting Winn the second he returned was not my plan.

When he pulled back he realized he never told us about his family. He opened a hologram picture of a beautiful woman and little girl. "Yes. Uh...that's my wife, Aila. While this little cutie is Mary, she's gonna be two in April."

"They're beautiful." Alex and I said at the same moment.

Kara agreed with their beauty, but then she got to business. "What happened?"

Winn explained. "Well, I'd just finished putting Mary to bed. And then somebody's knocking on the front door, and I'm thinking, please don't wake the baby up, and then Aila is arguing, suddenly, with whoever it is, defending me. So I run down there to see what's happening, and it's the time cops. Accusing me of killing Chester Dunholtz on this date, at this time."

"But you didn't do it." Alex said

"I told them that. But they had my DNA to prove it, so I'm thinking, "Okay, this must be some type of, you know, doppelganger person with my father's sick, twisted brain." And now, if this Toyman kills someone, I will never see my family again. They'll put me in jail, or worse, it's gonna affect the timeline. And I will have never met Aila. Or my daughter." Winn worried

"Okay, all right. Well, there must be something, right?" I asked with optimism

"Well, there is one thing." Alex said, pulling out her tablet with a picture of a blurred man. "This person was found lurking near Dunholtz, so maybe they were working together. I mean, we've got a face. Can we get an ID, Brainy?"

Brainy took the tablet from Alex and suddenly looked nervous. He tried to hide it, but I could tell something was off. "Yeah, I'll, um, I'll go to the DEO and start cleaning up the image to ID it, tracking it. I'll, uh, also put Winn's ship in the DEO hangar for safekeeping."

"No, no, no, I do not want the Legion ship anywhere near Lex." Kara exclaimed

Winn looked confused. "Lex as in Lex Luthor, the hero? Why would you not want the Legion ship near him?"

Those words coming from Winn's mouth made me gag a little. So, I decided to explain it to him. "Uh, Lex is not a hero. We're just gonna have to have J'onn bring you up to speed on exactly what happened."

* * *

Kara got ahold of J'onn and we headed right over. So glad the last few days have been cloudy, otherwise everything was going to be a hundred times more complicated. When we arrived a secret elevator appeared and took us to a whole part of J'onn's building I didn't know existed.

Winn and J'onn caught up as the rest of gawked at the space. J'onn said it would be a meeting place for the heroes of this city to work without the government or Lex getting involved. I loved that I was included in that title. Made me feel important.

"So, tell me what I missed with this whole Crisis thing." Winn exclaimed

"Not tell you. Show you." J'onn said as he motioned for Winn to take a seat. "But I must warn you. The truth of the old Earth could be quite upsetting."

"Uh, not more upsetting than what I'm already dealing with, so how bad can it be?"

J'onn placed a hand on Winn's forehead and he gasped; eyes turning a bright white. Clips of the past sped past his eyes and it was a lot to handle. Winn began to actually hyperventilate to the point of becoming nauseous. When J'onn moved his hand away Kara handed Winn a garbage can as he violently puked into it.

Alex patted his back. "Okay, get it out. Get it all out. It's okay."

Winn lifted his head from the garbage can, looking around at all of us. "Whoa! Uh, so, wait, Lena killed Lex? And then he came back to life? And James runs a small town newspaper and mentors children? And you!" Winn pointed toward me. "You were, what, turned into a vampire?"

I nodded. "Vamtronian, but pretty much. Kinda like an alien vampire."

Every screen in the room glitched out to project Winn's double. J'onn turned the volume up just as the announcement began. "Hello, National City! Well, by now you might've heard that my splashy show at Toycon caused, well, a little bit of ruckus…"

"Can you track his location?" Alex asked

J'onn shook his head. "He's blocked his IP address and signal. Whatever technology he's using, it's something that I've never seen before."

The speech continued. "Now, tell me. Have you ever been so unfairly wronged that it just made you wanna burn it all down? Well, I have. And I'm angry. Someone hurt my family and they destroyed my father's good name. So, I have the target, I have the method, and what I need now is you. Give me the will. Like, subscribe, share, and once I reach one million followers, you will see a fireworks display like never before. Until next time. I am hashtag Toyman."

Winn shot up as his hologram wrist gauntlet lit up with a wanted dead or alive poster of him. He turned toward us with worry. "Uh, guys? If he wins, I'm dead."

"I can't believe all these people are rooting for violence." Kara said, watching the follower count rise.

I shrugged. "Well, the anonymity of the internet brings out everyone's basest instincts."

We had to figure out what to do next and fast. J'onn left to search the city for anything out of the ordinary as the rest of us had to figure out our next move. Brainy arrived and began working on finding the IP address as Alex made a call. Nia arrived a short while later with the same awe we all had with this place.

She noticed my suit first. "Nice suit, Carly. It really fits you."

"Thanks, Nia."

"Whoa, Nia. As in Nia Nal?" Winn asked with the excitement of a teenage girl. He approached her and shook Nia's hand with great enthusiasm. "This is incredible. Holy...Hi. I'm sorry, your great, great, great, great, great bunch of greats granddaughter, Nura Nal, is, like, one of my best friends and, like, the most kick-ass Legionnaire."

Nia's face lit up with just as much excitement as he had. "That's crazy. Tell me everything. Does she look like me?"

Alex stepped between them. "Okay, wait. Let's save story time until after we catch the bad guy. Once he's hit a million followers, he's promised to strike. So, you'll have to work fast."

"Um, right. So, are there any markers, any specifics I can keep an eye out for?" Nia asked, sitting on the couch to get more comfortable. She looked a lot better than she had this morning, but you could tell by her red eyes she had been crying.

"All we know is that he wants attention and a lot of it." Winn mentioned

"Attention. Okay."

Nia closed her eyes and focused on The Toyman. She began muttering and tensing up. I grabbed her arm to see if she was alright just as she shot back into reality. She looked frightened, sad, and angry all at the same time.

Nia looked around at all of us. "I'm sorry, I didn't see anything."

Brainy approached with no emotion on his face. Nia looked at him and was about to break into tears again. What he said next stopped her tears, but made her anger rise. "Nothing? That seems unlikely."

"Fine." Nia shouted, standing straight up and looking directly at Brainy. "I saw a tiger. A wildcat."

She slammed her shoulder into his and ran off. Winn followed after her as the rest of us looked at Brainy with confusion and a little disgust. He wandered off back toward the computers and I followed suit, since the others didn't feel the need to talk to him.

Brainy sat down in one of the wheely chairs and I sat down in the one beside him. "Brainy, what the hell is wrong with you?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Really?" I questioned, moving my head into his line of vision so he had to look at me. "A few days ago you would have died to save Nia and now, what, you just don't care? Is that it? Now that you are all "logic" you just break up with Nia and make her feel awful. Is that your plan?"

"I don't want to hurt, Nia."

"Then why do you? If you don't want to hurt her then stop. Stop pretending you don't love her because I know you do. I saw the look on your face when she bumped into you. You love her, so why are you doing this?"

"It's complicated."

"No, it's not complicated. All you have to do is talk to someone. Things become more clear when you lift the weight off your shoulders."

Suddenly, Winn burst into the room with Kara trailing behind. We all looked in their direction as Winn announced his discovery. "I know where he is."

I looked at Brainy who wouldn't even look me in the eye. I sighed and followed after the others. Brainy followed, but stayed in the back. We arrived at an old toy factory to find it empty, well, aside from a desk covered in scribblings and toy plans.

We looked around to see if we could find anything and I was the first to discover a clue. I was searching through the scattered documents and found a picture. "Guys. I think I found something. Isn't this Andrea and her father?"

Alex got to action right away. "We have to get to CatCo. We have to warn Andrea. If he has her picture she must be a target."

"She's not at CatCo. She's at National City University." Kara said, turning to look at Nia. "Home of the Tigers."

We rushed to the University as Andrea was unveiling an updated contact set. A man, hooded with a cloak, came from the back of the stage. He pushed a button on the remote in his hand and a giant metal tiger appeared behind Andrea. She screamed as 3 more jumped from the balcony to the main part of the room.

Kara and I got to work getting all the pedestrians out of the room while the others stayed to fight the Toyman and all of his tigers. When we got everyone to safety, including Andrea, we joined the fight. While fending off a tiger that was inches from eating my face off I noticed Winn run after the hooded figure.

I knocked my tiger across the room and followed Winn. I ran in to see Winn and The Toyman circling one another. Winn was trying to convince him to stop. "Listen to me, I know what it feels like to wanna protect your family. Believe me, I do. But you have also got to create your own legacy."

"This is my legacy. You've seen the people. They adore me."

Winn shook his head. "Dude, this isn't love. No, you're just a cheap thrill for them, all right? Give me, give me the trigger."

The Toyman shook his head in the same manner. "Can't. It's a dead man's switch...for a dead man, like me."

Winn looked from the switch to his doppleganger. He knew if things had gone down differently he could've been just like his doppleganger. He could've been so angry and diluted that he would've destroyed everything, "Just stop that. You could still change. All right? You are not Toyman."

"You say that name with such disdain, but you, you do not understand. Toyman is eternal."

I saw his finger heading for the button on the switch so I used my speed to grab Winn and get us out of there. We got to the edge of the door when the explosion shot us across the room. We hit the opposite wall while Kara was quickly getting the others out. Before the flames could do some serious damage, Winn and I jumped out of the room to have it consumed by flames.

Once the hysteria had calmed down and the DEO arrived to clean up the mess, I noticed Winn sitting on his own. I took a seat next to him. "Is the future fixed?"

"Yeah, I think it is." Winn said, pulling up the hologram to show it had changed back to the picture of his wife and child. "Thank you, Carly. You saved my life."

"No problem, Winn. I might as well use these powers for good, otherwise I'll be just as bad as the villains we face."

"Is it bad?" Winn asked, catching my attention. "I know what I was shown, but I want to know. Is being a vam..tronian difficult?"

"Depends on the day, honestly. Some days I feel normal and on others I feel like the alien I've become. I can't walk in the sun unless every inch of my skin is covered or I will start smoking like a house on fire. Oh and I drink blood. So, that really makes family meals awkward."

"Have you ever bitten anyone?"

"Only twice. Kara when she risked her life to save me from Deirdre's father and Ryan Choi who helped me during Crisis. I don't want to hurt people, even if my bite brings them pleasure. I don't want to take their strength from them, I don't want to be a monster."

"You are not a monster, I can promise you that." Winn said with a genuine smile.

"Thanks, Winn."

* * *

When everything was taken care of I decided I needed to finish my conversation with Brainy. I knew he was hiding something and I wasn't going to let him continue to be secretive. I popped up in the DEO to find him working on one of the computers.

I sighed. "What are you doing?"

"J'onn has asked me to upgrade the diagnostic system."

"No, he didn't. Brainy, what is going on?" I asked, honestly concerned. "I saw the way that you looked at Nia, when the tigers attacked. That fear of losing someone that you love. So, tell me the truth. What is going on?"

Brainy looked from the screen into my eyes with tears. He swallowed the spit in his throat and blurted out what he had wanted to say earlier. "I have lied to everyone because I've had to work with Lex Luthor. I helped Lex bring Winn back for the sake of the future."

"That was you? Why?"

Brainy got up from his chair and turned to face me. "I had to. It was imperative that Lex get information from the memory cube on Winn's ship. I did the calculations. I knew no one would die. That we would catch Toyman."

I got angry. "You risked everyone's lives, Brainy! If I hadn't grabbed him, Winn would have died. I could have died. Nia...could have died. Was it really worth working with Lex?"

"Lex, he's chaos incarnate. He's completely unpredictable, and I'm so sorry. Another Brainiac told me that it was absolutely critical that I help Lex in complete secrecy. But I hate it. I hurt Nia. And all I want is to be close with her again, but I have to be cold. And I'm terrified that I'm becoming the bad guy…"

He was sobbing at this point and I should've been angry, for me and the others, but I wasn't. I wasn't angry because I understood why he did it. He wanted to save the future and had to hurt those around him to save them in the end. I understood the fear of becoming a bad guy because I had that same fear.

Brainy noticed my silence and broke it. "You must hate me. Are you going to tell the others?"

"I don't hate you." I stated as surprise appeared on his face. "I should hate you for risking everyone's lives and working with the devil incarnate, but everything worked out, so I guess I don't. I won't tell the others because I understand why you did what you did, but you are going to have to tell them. Hiding this is weight you do not need to bare. If working with Lex against Leviathan will save the future then you need to tell the others, even if the the other Brainy told you otherwise."

"You're not mad?"

"I'm mad, but I understand where you are coming from. I feel that same fear of turning evil, so I get it. Kara is having a game night with the others. We could go right now if you like."

Brainy shook his head. "Not tonight, I have work to do."

"Alright, but Brainy..." I said turning back to look at him. "Don't let him get to you. Lex is a manipulator and highly unpredictable. Be careful."

"I will."


	20. Our First Date

I walked home without using my powers. I hadn't taken a walk since I was attacked by Deirdre four months ago. It still blew my mind how much has happened in such a short while. I became a half vamtronian, got kidnapped by Lena, almost died protecting Kara, a crisis happened, I lost almost everyone I cared about, then we saved the day, and Kara and I ended up together.

That last thought brought a smile to my face. I had waited almost 14 years to tell her how I truly felt. For so long I kept it buried inside because I didn't want to lose her. For a long time being near her was enough, but that weight was hard to carry. Seeing her fall in love with all these boys who just left her in the end, broke my heart. Mon El was the worst.

Mon El leaving caused her to not get off the couch for months. Alex and I had to make sure she got her meals and got up to go to the bathroom. Seeing her go through all these relationships, pretending, even when she was happy, that it didn't bother me was a lot to handle. I loved Kara and finally I didn't have to hide it anymore.

When she told me she felt the same way, the weight on my shoulders lifted. I loved her so much and knowing she felt the same was a dream come true. She has always been this strong woman who saved the day no matter the odds. But I don't care, I'm gonna be there to protect her, even if she can handle it herself.

I approached the main door to my apartment complex and took the steps 4 floors up to mine. It wasn't a giant apartment, nowhere near as nice as Kara's, but it worked for what I needed. I entered the flat and saw a note on the counter. I set my purse and jacket on the table.

The note read. "The blood is in the fridge. Please, don't forget to eat. Also nice apartment, really cute. Love, Deirdre."

I smiled and placed the note back on the counter. I went to the fridge to find she put on all the blood in what used to be my cheese drawer; my cheese nowhere to be found. I couldn't actually eat it without vomiting, but still not cool to throw away my cheese without asking. I picked up a bag of blood, set it on the counter, and closed the fridge quickly.

I stared at the blood for a long while, considering putting it back, but I knew I had to do this. I popped the cap off the bag and brought the tube to my lips. When the blood hit my tongue, I actually gagged. The coldness of it was outright disgusting.

After choking down that awful sip, I poured the rest into my favorite mug (Kara got it for me on my birthday last year). I put the mug in the microwave and set it for about a minute. The beep caused me to jump, still not used to my heightened hearing. I grabbed the cup and tried to take another sip.

It was like a complete 180. Now it tasted like the best wine on a winter's night. Just nuking it to room temperature made a complete difference. It was good, but not as good as the real thing. Feeling skin in my teeth, a heartbeat syncing with mine, the moans...That's when I snapped out of it.

I couldn't act on those urges. I wouldn't let myself. I didn't want to be a monster and I wasn't going to let Lex's mockery make me one. I was going to get through this one step at a time. I sat down on my couch and sipped from the mug, searching for something on TV.

That is when my phone began to ring. I muted the TV and noticed Kara was the one calling. I brought my phone to my ear as I pressed talk. "Hey Kara, what's up?

"Are you busy tomorrow?"

I placed my mug on the coffee table in front of me. "No, I don't think so. Why?"

"Well, we've been running into trouble a lot lately. We haven't had time to slow down since the crisis and I think we should." She paused with nervousness. "Would you like to go on a date with me? A date with me...tomorrow?"

"Like an actual date?"

Kara laughed. "Yeah, an actual date. We haven't actually gone on our first date and I think we deserve some fun. Besides, I promised you a movie marathon before all this crisis crap happened. Can you come over to my house tomorrow night? I was thinking 6 pm, that way the sun won't be an issue."

I thought about it for a moment, but realized I already knew my answer, "I would love to."

* * *

The next day I approached Kara's apartment with more fear than I felt in quite awhile. I arrived at the door and knocked. There wasn't an answer so I used my key to let myself in. I was wearing a simple pink spring dress with a sweater over my arms and converse sneakers (I was terrible at dressing up). My outfit was a little cold for winter, but the cold didn't really bother me anymore, not as much as humans anyway.

"Kara?" I yelled

She peeked her head around the corner. "Give me a second, almost done."  
I sat down on one of the stools at her counter. As my butt hit the seat she strolled out of her bedroom. I stood straight back up, my jaw almost hitting the floor. She was wearing a knee-length back dress that had no back with only one strap holding it over her chest and black heels to match. She looked like a goddess.

I could barely speak. "Y...you look gorgeous."

She smiled, looking me up and down, laughing playfully at my shoe choice. "You don't look half bad yourself. Are you ready to go?"

"Where are we going?"  
"You'll see."

She grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the room. Once on the street we took a taxi toward downtown. Either of us using our abilities would have gotten us there faster, but Kara wanted to do this like humans would. We arrived in the middle of the city, a few minutes later we were at the fanciest restaurant in town, Sylvestors. The cheapest meal was almost twenty dollars.

I looked from the building toward Kara. "This place is kind of expensive, are you sure you wanna eat here?"

"Don't worry about the price." Kara said, pulling me toward the door. "Besides, they are the only place that serves steak bloody."

We entered the establishment and it was just as luxurious as I imagined. I had never been inside as I had never had the money to afford it, but I understood why people dined here. The walls were covered in velvet, the lightning dim, a classical band playing in the corner, and everyone was dressed in their best. I felt like a fish out of water in this place, but Kara assured me I was fine.

A waitress escorted us to a booth in the back of the restaurant. She gave us a moment to decide as we looked at our menus. Sadly, I couldn't eat any of the delicious food because the last time I tried I puked it back up instantly. Before Lena had kidnapped me I went back to my home and tried to eat a sandwich, that was a big mistake.

So I got a bloody rare steak while Kara got herself a caesar salad with french dressing and chicken. She also ordered a bottle of wine for the table. I hadn't tried wine since I was turned so I honestly had no idea how my body would react, but there is a first for everything. Once the waitress walked away with our menus we got to talking.

"How did you afford this place? Our food alone is going to cost you almost a hundred dollars." I asked with surprise.

She laughed. "I may be a mere reporter, but I have the money to enjoy some luxury sometimes. Besides, you mean a lot to me and I wanted to do something special for our first date. Is there anything wrong with that?"

"No, of course not. It's just...I'm not used to people treating me to things like this."

Kara leaned forward and placed her hand on mine. "Don't worry, there will be more to come."

She smiled and I smiled right back. The waitress returned with our food and wine. She poured the wine in our glasses and left the bottle on the table. With a nod she was gone and we were on our own again. Kara lifted her glass as I did the same and we cheersed.

I brought the glass to my lips and took a baby sip, afraid I would puke it right back up, but nothing happened. With the sandwich it was instant, but with the wine I didn't feel anything. I moved the glass from my lips with a shocked expression, taking a bigger sip.

Kara noticed my surprise. "Vamtronians can drink alcohol, but can't eat food. You'll have to drink a lot to actually get you drunk, but it'll still give you a buzz."

"How do you know so much about vamtronians? I knew when I was first turned and asleep, I heard about the vamtronians attacking your planet once, but how do you know so much? You know more than I do and I am one." I said, setting my glass on the table.

"The attack happened before I was born and my parents would tell me the old stories. I wanted to be prepared for any situation so I did my research." She shoved a big forkful of salad into her mouth. "I know a lot on the topic, kind of an expert."

"Alright, tell me some of the things I can and cannot do as a half vamtronian. Deirdre explained a few things to me, but I don't know everything."

"Okay, let me think." Kara said, taking another sip of wine. "You cannot eat normal food without getting sick, but you can drink alcohol. If you become a full vamtronian you can fly, hypnotize, and are invincible to the sun. Also you can't ever get a tattoo because your heightened healing will just remove the ink in a day or two."

"Damn, I was really hoping to get that tramp stamp."

We both looked at each other and burst into laughter. Once our laughter died down I tried to eat some of the steak. I took a bit of meat and sucked the blood off it before spitting it into my napkin. Not a pretty sight, but Kara didn't seem phased.

That's when a question came to my mind. "Did your readings ever say anything about a cure?"

Kara shook her head. "As far as I can tell, there isn't one, but that doesn't mean it's not possible. Once we get back on track, I can have Brainy look for something. Don't give up hope just yet." My face saddened so Kara tried to change the subject. "Do you remember the science fair in 9th grade?"

"Of course, I do." I smiled. "That was the fair I tried to make a baking soda volcano, but it didn't work. I was on the verge of tears because I spent so much time on it and I failed."

Kara continued the story. "I noticed how sad you were and wanted to help make you smile. So, I added a few more ingredients I knew would work, but I added too much. The volcano exploded causing Mrs. Lindell to be covered head to toe in the fake lava."

"I remember that. She was so angry, stormed off leaving a trail of red goop behind her. It was the best moment of my high school career. We might've been suspended for two days, but it was definitely worth it."

We laughed just as I consumed the last of the blood seeping from my meat and Kara with her salad. Kara asked for the bill and paid for the whole meal. I tried to help, but she refused. After everything was set, Kara pulled me out of the restaurant. I thought we would be heading back to her apartment, but instead of going into her apartment, we went to the roof.

She placed her hands over my eyes and led me up some stairs. She removed her hands to reveal a beautiful scene. On one of the walls she set up a projector with White Christmas waiting to be played with a comfortable couch and fuzzy blanket waiting for us. Candles surrounding the entire roof top, the only light there was.

She jumped with giddy excitement. "What do you think?"

"I love it." I said as happy tears came to my eyes. "This is amazing. Thank you."

"I'm glad you like it. Now let's get our movie marathon on. I have White Christmas, Home Alone, and Santa Clause." She pulled me onto the couch as she went to find the remote. "I even got some more wine, if you would like a drink while we watch."

"It's not Christmas time anymore." I pointed out with a smile.

She turned back to look at me. "I don't care." Kara said with a childish expression. "I promised you a movie marathon before Christmas and I plan to keep my promise. I don't care if it's not Christmas time anymore, we are gonna watch your favorite Christmas movie nonetheless."

Kara retrieved the remote and plopped down beside me. She covered us both with her favorite fuzzy blanket and pressed play. Halfway through White Christmas Kara had cuddled up beside me. Just her touch was electric to my skin, I could barely focus on the movie with her being so close. I eventually got past it and just enjoyed her presence while we continued to watch.

We watched White Christmas, Home Alone, and Santa Clause. When the credits rolled on Santa Clause, Kara had fallen asleep. I pushed the off button and the screen went dark. I tried to shake her arm to wake her up, but she was deep asleep. When she fell into a deep sleep there was no way anyone could wake her up.

I originally planned to leave her on the couch, but I decided she would be more comfortable on the bed. I picked her up bridal style, which before I was a vamtronian would never have been possible, and carried her down 4 floors to her apartment. With a little trouble getting the door open, I got her inside and laid her on the bed.

I went back up to the roof grabbing her blanket, projector, and wine. I didn't want anyone to steal her stuff while she was asleep. When I came back to the apartment I set her belongings on the counter and headed back into the bedroom to check on her. I covered her with the comforter strewn across the bed and made sure she was comfortable.

When she was covered, I began to leave when her hand shot out and grabbed mine. I turned back to see her eyes wide open staring up at me, "Don't leave, please."

"Kara, I…"

"I want you to stay. Please don't leave."

I couldn't move. This was like a dream come true, but my body didn't know if it was real. I stood there for a long time before I decided to take the leap. I got onto the bed and under the covers. Kara moved closer to me and cuddled against my chest.

My heart was racing like a jackhammer and I knew Kara could hear it. She smiled softly and closed her eyes. I wrapped my arms around her and almost started to cry. I was so happy I could barely stand it. I had dreamt of this moment for so long and I still couldn't believe it was happening.


	21. I Have Plans For Her

I woke up to a burning sensation coming from my arm. I looked down to see light, shining through Kara's thin curtains, slowly searing my skin. I screamed and scrambled onto the floor. Kara quickly sat up and realized what had happened. She ran around the bed and pulled the thick curtains, she normally had open, over the window.

Kara kneeled beside me and we both watched as the burns healed almost magically. She looked at my arm and lightly touched where the burn had been to see if any damage had stayed, "Are you okay?"

I nodded. "I'm fine now."

She pulled me to my feet and strolled into the kitchen. "Next time you sleepover, I'll make sure to close all the drapes."

The words "next time" brought a smile to my face. Kara closed the rest of the curtains so I wouldn't be burned again. I followed after her and sat down at the breakfast bar. She was making her coffee and I was content just watching. Without her suit and makeup, she still looked gorgeous, if not more beautiful. Just being close to her was all I needed to make my heart flutter.

She noticed my staring and blushed, her cheeks turning bright red. "Why are you staring at me?"

"Just admiring your beauty."

Kara smiled as I smiled right back. She finished brewing her coffee and took a seat next to me, pulling an apple from the bowl in front of us. She began chewing and tried to speak through the apple chunks. "I am not beautiful. I'm a mess."

I leaned forward so our faces were mere inches apart. "A beautiful mess."

She swallowed her apple chunks and set her cup on the counter. I never moved from my position as she leaned forward, placing her lips on mine. I kissed her just as ferociously, my hands cupping her face.

Kara got closer to me and I had to lean back on the stool so much so I fell onto the floor with Kara landing on top of me. She grabbed my wrists and held them beside my head. I playfully tried to fight her off, but I let her continue to hold me down. "You like being up there, don't you?"

"Yeah, I think I do."

She continued to grip my wrists as she leaned down to kiss me. I took this chance to flip her onto her back so I was on top. I held her down in the same fashion she had held me. "Never underestimate your opponent."

I began to lean down to kiss her when the door shot open. Alex got a foot in the door and stopped in her tracks. "Kara, we need you at the…"

The sound of Alex's voice made us separate immediately. Kara and I blushed in embarrassment as we quickly stood up, taking a few steps from one another. Alex crossed her arms and a big smile appeared on her face. "I can go if you guys want some privacy."

"No, no it's fine." Kara quickly said, fixing her hair with her hand. "What is it you need?"

Alex smiled. "There is a glitch on the DEO computer. Brainy is looking into it now, but we believe Toyman could be behind it. I was told to come get you in case things got hairy."

"I thought he blew himself up." I asked with confusion.

"I don't know how Toyman did it, but Brainy believes he's behind the malfunction. Whatever it is, we need Supergirl and Vamtrona. I have a highly tinted DEO van waiting right outside the doors. So, be prepared to run." Alex began for the door, but turned back to say one last thing. "I'll leave you two to get ready."

Alex laughed to herself as she left the apartment. Both of us quickly got ready and didn't bring up what just happened. Both of us were still red in the face about it so we just decided to push it out of our minds. We suited up and prepared for the perilous journey to the car.

On the way to the main floor I had to maneuver around all the windows, which was manageable, but the trip from the doors to the car was a different story. The car was 20 feet from the doors, but the sun was at its peak and there were no clouds in the sky. We made it to the edge of the door and I hesitated.

I knew running to the car wouldn't cause me to burn to death. I might start smoking though and having people see me do that would cause suspicion. Kara noticed my fear and came prepared with a blanket. She placed it over my head and arms.

Kara secured it in place. "On the count of three, we'll run to the car. One."

"Two."

"Three."

Alex held the car door open as I quickly threw myself in the backseat, only smoking a little. Kara could have flown to the DEO, but she decided to get in the car with me so we could travel together. Alex secured the doors and got in the driver's seat.

We arrived at the DEO in only a few minutes and when we arrived, all hell's breaking loose. Every monitor in the room was static. We approached the comms area when the main screen's static morphed into a face. Winn came from the other room just as his face appeared on the screen; Toyman's face.

"Hello, everyone. You may wonder how I got on your screen if I'm dead. Well, simply, I'm not dead. A simple code sent me into the computer in my truck, which you brought here. All it took was one jump and now I'm a virus on your tech." He cackled with a smug smile. "Once I get enough power, I will have access to all the technology in this city and maybe even the world. For now, the DEO will have to do. I hope you all like The Wizard of Oz."

The screen went black and screeching could suddenly be heard from behind us. We all turned around to see a hoard of flying monkeys whiz into the room. Everyone got to work destroying them. Kara blew them apart, I smashed them with my fists, and Alex, including the other agents, began shooting the vermin down. When it was all clear, we went into a red alert.

Brainy got to work trying to break down the firewall Toyman had built around himself. Alex got to dechipping the weaponry so the Toyman couldn't get to them. Winn, Kara, and I decided to head to J'onn's as he might know more about what was going on. We prepared to leave when I heard the only voice that truly made my skin crawl. "Carly, may I speak with you for a moment."

I turned around to find Lex peeking his bald head out of the conference room. Kara and Winn stopped walking and looked over with concern. I assured them I would be fine and to wait outside for me. They weren't happy about it, but starting a fight now would just make things worse. The two headed outside as I made my way across the landing.

He motioned me to enter as I walked past and took a seat at the table, Lex sat down across from me. I was the first to speak. "What is it you need, Lex?"

Lex cleared his throat. "I know you'll never trust me, but we are on the same side, Carly. Leviathan and now this Toyman are an issue that needs to be dealt with for the betterment of the world. Don't you think?"

I smiled smugly as he was. "Leviathan and Toyman are threats, but so are you. I would rather work with my friends to defeat the bad guy than to work with a man who can't touch anything without killing it."

Lex intertwined his fingers. "I may not be good, but the people out there are worse. Sometimes your enemy's enemy can be an ally. You just gotta take the risk."

I leaned forward with a grimace. "Last time I trusted you, you shot me with an energy beam and I was knocked unconscious. Sometimes risks aren't worth it."

"Don't pretend you're some angel sent from heaven. No one is perfect." Lex said with a sly smile. "I know what kind of urges you have. I know what kind of killer you are."

"I've never killed anyone."

"Yet." Lex said as he leaned closer to me. "We both know what you are capable of. I know a great deal about your species. I know what kind of carnage you can inflict when you're hungry. The Black Plague struck in 1347, killing a third of the european population. Do you really think it was just a disease? Vamtronians took many lives during that period, ripping people to pieces."

My anger was rising. "Shut up..."

Lex continued. "You might not have killed yet, but I know you want to. When I took Superman's spot you held me in the air with a look of murder in your eyes. That same look reappeared when I was trying to persuade Novu to be on my side. You push those feelings down deep because you're afraid I'm right."

My hand shot out with lightning speed, wrapping around his throat as I looked at him with dark eyes. His expression changed to a smile as he looked at my vampiric face. His hand came to my wrist, but he didn't push me away. "Your reaction just proves my point."

I gritted my teeth as my fangs retacted, my eyes returned to normal, and my hand left his throat. "I may have those urges, but I'll never act on them because...I'm not you."

I got up from the table and began for the door. I got to the entrance when Lex yelled after me. "You can deny it all you want, but you're just like me, Carly. You're no hero and one day you'll realize I'm right."

I stormed out of the room without looking back. I knew Lex was trying to get a reaction out of me. He wanted me to give in and become a monster just like him. I was starting to believe him and I couldn't let myself go down that path, I just couldn't.

I got halfway down the stairs when I noticed Brainy walking up the opposite way. I grabbed his arm so he would stop. "Was this whole Toyman attack planned by Lex?"

Brainy nodded with a sigh. "Yes, it was, but I have it under control. No one is going to get hurt on my watch."

"Yeah, you better hope so." I said taking a few steps before turning back to look at him. "He isn't trustworthy, Brainy. He likes to egg me on and one of these days I may just snap. Don't let him do the same to you."

Before Brainy could ask more I made my way outside to Kara and Winn. Both looked concerned at my sudden tense expression, but I tried to explain I was okay. When we arrived at The Tower, J'onn was already at work trying to figure out how the Toyman did what he did.

J'onn saw us enter and motioned for us to join him at the main table. "I may not be as saavy as Brainy when it comes to computers, but I think I know how he got in."

I asked first. "How?"

J'onn pushed a button on his remote and a long sequence of numbers, letters, and symbols appeared on the screen. "He got in using this."

"What is that?" Kara asked scanning the sequence with her eyes.

"That's a computer modular code." Winn said as we all looked at him with confusion. "It's sequenced in a way to draw power. Whoever enters the code gets sucked into the computer or device they entered it into. Typing it backwards from the inside, brings you back."

"How did you…" I began

Winn sighed. "I created it." A look of grief appeared in his eyes. "Look, I thought it would be cool. Why just play a video game, you know, when you can be inside of one? I'd stay up past midnight trying to think of different ways to express Premack's theory of the mind in this little blue notebook. My dad finally caught me with it and asked me what it was. I thought he was going to be mad, but he seemed...proud. Of course, now I know it wasn't pride, it was greed. The night the police finally came and took him away, I went to look for the notebook. It was gone. Turns out that he had taken it and left in its place a little toy monkey."

Kara placed her hand on Winn's shoulder and squeezed. "I'm sorry."

Winn nodded. "It's okay because I know the code by heart. If we can find the command center then I should be able to get inside and delete the Toyman."

"I already found it." J'onn announced as a map with a red dot appeared on the screen behind him. "The signal is coming from a computer in an old toy factory on the southend of town. Plus a rain storm has covered the city, no sunlight in sight."

The plan was simple. J'onn would stay at the tower while Winn, Kara, and I would go to this command center and hopefully stop another attack from occurring. We traveled across town, which was so much easier now that the sun was covered by rain clouds. Winn led the way with a sensor that would go off when we would be close to the source.

We zigzagged through the halls until we came to a giant room at the end of a long hallway. We entered side by side as Winn placed the sensor in his bag. His hands were inches from the keyboard when the pixels on the screen morphed into a face, but it wasn't the Toyman that looked like Winn.

Winn's eyes went wide with shock just as ours did. "Dad?"

"Nice to see you again, Winslow."

Winn's face went cold with crossed arms. "Explain yourself. Digitizing my

consciousness was my dream. A dream you stole."

"Fine. But when that other Winn digitized himself, he used the underlying code that I'd written, plus my hardware." Winn's father explained. "Now, I managed to translate 80% of myself before I died, but he must have paired it with some sort of future tech, because when he came online, I did too."

"And now you wanna help us?" Kara and I asked at the same moment.

He nodded. "Yes. I'm trapped in a backup drive, and the only way I can do anything is if you release me."

"I'm sorry. Are you insane?!" Winn yelled with poison on the tip of his tongue. "Oh, wait, yes. Clinically, you are."

"If we let him go, he will do what he always does and wreak havoc everywhere." Kara pointed out.

Winn's father interrupted. "That's not true! I mean, it was my original plan, but this other Winn is planning to do things that are beyond the pale. I've seen it in his code."

Winn rolled his eyes and began typing, "Yeah, well, that's why I'm going to delete both of you."

"Winslow, don't." His father warned with actual worry in his voice. "I wanna help and you can't beat him alone. You have to trust me."

Suddenly, the tablet Brainy insisted we bring with us began beeping. Winn continued working as I pulled the tablet out to see the DEO was calling us. I pushed the talk button to see a frantic Brainy.

"Brainy, what's wrong?" I asked, Kara and Winn coming over to see what was the matter.

"The Toyman got into our tech." Brainy yelled as he knocked a flying monkey onto the floor. "He has control of the monkeys again and has now upgraded to the Lexo Suits. We need your help, now."

The call went dead. Kara decided it was her job to go back to the DEO to help. I wanted to go with her, but she wanted me to stay with Winn in case things didn't go as planned. Kara flew out of the room as I returned to Winn's side. The code was typed, all he had to do was press enter, go into the computer, and delete both toymen.

He hesitated and I knew why. "Winn, are you sure about this? Deleting the Toyman is one thing, but your father? He might be a horrid human, but he is still your dad. Are you sure you want to do this?"

"I'm the only one that can."

He swallowed the spit in his throat as he pushed enter. A beam of light left Winn's head and shot into the computer, causing Winn to fall to the ground limp. I had no idea what to do so I made sure he was comfortable and sat with him. I wanted to do more, but I knew Winn could do this. I believed in him.

Ten minutes after he went in, the beam of light shot back at his body and he sat up with wide eyes. I ran around so I could grab hold of his hands and pull him to his feet. "Did you do it?"

"I did…" Winn's eyes began to fill with tears. "My father saved me. He let himself get deleted for...me."

I brought Winn in for a tight hug as he cried into my shoulder. I heard footsteps and looked over to see Kara in the doorway. Her eyes asked if he had won and I nodded to reassure her as I continued to hug Winn.

After Toyman was taken care of, Kara went to have a chat with Alex and I needed to blow off some steam from Lex this morning. I was in one of the training rooms punching a dummy. Winn appeared in the doorway, causing me to lose focus. I turned to see him enter just as I punched the head off the dummy.

"Night right hook." He laughed

I awkwardly blushed and picked, the now decapitated, head off the floor and set it on the table beside me. I turned back toward him. "Well, I've been practicing. Hopefully in a real fight, I won't actually decapitate the person."

"That's a good goal."

We both burst into laughter as he came to lean against the table I was leaning on. I saw the look in his eyes and knew he was going to say goodbye. "You're going back to the future, aren't you?"

He nodded. "I have to, my family's waiting for me. I've been saying goodbye to everyone and thought I would save you for last."

"What an honor." I said with a joky smile.

He smiled in the same manner. "I don't know how long I will be gone and I know before I left the first time we were becoming good friends. You were just a human techie like me and now look how far we've come." Winn motioned around us. "I live in the future and save the world as a Legionnaire and you're a hero fighting alongside Kara. We've stepped up I think."

"A lot has changed in a mere three years." I said as my smile faded.

Winn noticed my sudden drop in mood and bent his head into my line of vision so I would look at him. "Carly?"

"Yeah…"

"I know you think becoming a vamtronian is a curse, but I don't see it that way." I looked over at him as he shrugged. "You get to fight as a hero, instead of sitting at a desk, rotting. The sun might complicate things, but you're a hero in your own right. I mean you have a super suit, which is way cooler than mine by the way."

I laughed as he continued. "Just because you drink blood does not mean you are any less a hero than anybody else. You don't have to let it define you."

"I'm just worried that Lex was right…" I said crossing my arms. "He has jabbed at me on multiple occasions, including this morning, that one day I'm going to lose control and hurt someone I love. That the darkness in me will come to light and I will become the monster I was meant to be. Sad thing is, I'm starting to believe him."

"You are not a monster, Carly. I can promise you that."

"Are you sure about that?" I asked, biting my lip. "I'm like the alien equivalent of the vampires in movies. Aside from being alien in origin and having a different name, I am a vampire. Vampires always get the short end of the stick. Burn in the sun, murderous cravings, outliving your loved ones. My situation is not a blessing, Winn. The powers are amazing and I am so happy I can fight alongside Kara, but I am also terrified of myself."

Winn moved in front of me and placed his hands on my shoulders. "You don't have to be afraid. You only live forever as a full vamtronian, as a half vamtronian you just age slower. Like you age up another year every 3 years." I looked at him with confusion. "The future has a library dedicated to different aliens. If you become a full vamtronian, then you never age, but since you are still half human you age a slower rate."

I sighed. "Well, at least I got that goin' for me. I won't look 24 when everyone I love is 40."

"Carly, listen to me." Winn said with reassurance. "Don't look at this like a curse. Try to look on the bright side of things or you will never continue living your life. As long as you drink blood regularly and are not seriously hurt then you have nothing to worry about, okay? I believe in you. You will never be what Lex tempts. Don't let him get into your head."

I nodded as Winn pulled me in for a hug. I didn't realize till now how much I truly missed Winn. We had been really good friends before he went to the future. Both of us worked as techies and both of us had a crush on Kara. He got over his and I never did. He had no idea about my feelings, but I knew about his, which just made our friendship more inviting.

He pulled back with a teary smile. "You are a hero, Carly. Don't let anyone else tell you different."

"Goodbye, Winn."

"Bye…"

* * *

Lex was working in the conference room looking at the losses of today as Brainy entered the room. Brainy took a seat across from Lex and explained the situation. "I was able to pick apart the codes that you desired from the attack this afternoon."

"That is excellent news. Is there anything else to report?"

Brainy nodded. "There is minor damage to the building and tech, aside from your Lexo Suits, so rebuilding will be an ease. Sadly, Alex has decided to leave the DEO, permanently."

"A pity." Lex said with a fake frown. "Well a congratulations is in order then, Director Dox. You will now take Alex's position."

"Thank you for the opportunity." Brainy said with little to no emotion. He rose from his seat and got to the doorway when something came to mind. "Can I ask you something, Lex?"

"Of course, what is it?"

Brainy turned toward Lex. "Why are you constantly putting Carly on edge? I heard some of the conversation you had this afternoon and I am curious as to why you do this. If you are trying to seem like the good guy, why make Carly angry?"

"Because I have plans for her." Lex said, rising from the table. "She has abilities that can be quite useful if you know how to use them. I edge her on to make her uncomfortable, easier for her to mess up. The more uneasy she is the better suited she'll be when I turn her into my secret weapon."

Brainy shook his head. "She would never let herself lose control."

Lex laughed. "Who said she had a choice? I'm working on something that will throw free will right out the window and Carly will be my test subject." Lex placed a hand on Brainy's shoulder. "And you're gonna help me do it."


	22. Live Long Enough to Become the Villain

Brainy slapped Lex's hand off his shoulder. "I am not going to help you hurt one of my friends. I agreed to work with you to stop Leviathan and that is all. I will not help you with whatever you are planning to do to her."

"If you don't help me, I will personally share what you have been doing over the last few weeks with all your Super Friends. I know for a fact you haven't told them because you're scared of their reaction." Lex smugly smiled. "Help me with this and no one will know of your involvement, I promise."

Brainy wanted to storm out of the room and tell everyone what Lex was planning, but his feet didn't move. He knew doing this would reveal his work with Lex and he wasn't ready to share that with the world. Brainy, instead of leaving, sighed with crossed arms. "What are you planning to do to, Carly?"

"Let me tell you." Lex said, sitting on the tabletop. "Carly, could be powerful if she just knew how to use her gifts. If she were a full vamtronian she wouldn't have to worry about the sun or aging. She could fly and hypnotize anyone who stood in her path. I'm just going to help her in the right direction. Once a full vamtronian, there is a device I made from Lena's original contact design. With a few tweeks I have calibrated the contacts to a vamtronian's mind. She will be under my control and if she fights it, well, the pain will be excruciating."

Brainy's anger rose. "So, what? You're planning on turning Carly into a full vamtronian against her will and then making her a killing machine? A slave to whatever sick game you're playing? If you do this, Supergirl will come after you."

"I know she will, but by the time she gets to me it'll be too late. Carly, will be mine to control. Leviathan is a threat to everyone and having someone who will make the risky calls will be an aid to our cause. Don't you think?" Lex said with a raised brow.

Brainy shook his head. "Using Carly as a piece in your game of chess is not the way to win. If you want to beat the bad guy, you should never become worse then they are."

"Brainy, have you ever seen the movie The Dark Knight." Lex rose from the table as Brainy shook his head. "Well, in that movie there is a quote that I find quite true. You either die a hero or live long enough to become the villain. No one can always be good, sometimes the only way to get things done is to get your hands dirty. You will see that in the end this will help us defeat Leviathan."

Brainy walked to the doorway when Lex yelled after him. "Don't let Carly know anything is amiss. I want tonight to be a surprise."

Brainy rolled his eyes and went into the tech room to get some peace and quiet, only for me to walk in. When he saw me he looked down at the floor, not even having the courage to look me in the eye. I noticed this and asked. "Brainy, is everything alright?"

Brainy quickly answered. "Yeah, everything's fine. Why would you ask?"

When I was about to tell him, an alarm went off in the building. Brainy quickly pulled up security footage showing an awful car crash on the other side of town. I wanted to talk with Brainy, but I knew this was more important. I suited up and ran into the main room to find Kara waiting for me, the day was cloudy so the sun wasn't an issue. Kara flew herself and I to the scene, when we arrived the car was teetering over the edge.

I went to the back of the car and pulled it toward the roadway. The condition of the car meant I couldn't pull it all the way back onto the bridge and so instead I held it in place as Kara got to work getting everyone out. I used one of the bridge cables to keep my balance, not wanting to have the car pull me down into the river with it. Kara got everyone out, except one of the children. She was about to grab the kid when the edge of the bridge crumbled, causing the car to go completely vertical.

I shot forward and grabbed one of the rods to keep myself from falling into the river alongside the car. My grip was slipping so Kara knew she had to be fast. She flew to the side of the vehicle and ripped the car door off. Kara pulled the little girl from the car and flew her to safety. Once I knew both of them were clear from the vehicle, I let go and it tumbled into the river below.

A crowd had formed around us and they cheered our names, not just Kara's, but both of ours. We waved toward the crowd as Kara was preparing to fly us off. We were mid lift when the little girl ran back over to us. She gave Kara a hug and Kara returned the favor.

The girl then backed up from Kara and waddled over to me. She had a teddy bear in her arms and she put it in my hands. "Tank you for saaavving meeee. You can have Teddy, share with Supergurl pleaasssee."

I took the fuzzy white bear and nodded. "You are very welcome and I will share Teddy, I promise."

The girl smiled and gave me a hug. The other family members thanked us while Kara flew us into the air. We headed back to her apartment to unwind for awhile. We got dressed in our everyday clothes and sat on the couch together.

I wanted to talk to Brainy some more, but I knew he wasn't going to talk to me. If he wanted to talk, he would come to me and I just hope he trusted me enough to do that. I held the teddy bear up to Kara. "You jealous the girl handed me the bear?"

"She said we had to share it." Kara smiled

"Well, honestly, I think I deserve it. If you want the bear, you're gonna have to come and get it from me." I said with a suggestive smile.

Kara had the same look in her eyes. "That can be arranged."

She leaned forward to try and take the bear from me when there was a knock at the door. We both sighed as Kara got off the couch. I followed after her and when she opened the door neither of us recognized the man on the other side.

The man smiled at us. "Nice to see you both again. My name is Mxyzptlk, and I am here for you."

He strode into the house as Kara closed the door behind him. He walked around the kitchen and scanned the room like he had been here before. Kara crossed her arms. "Okay. If you are Mxy, then why do you look like this?"

"Okay, I only took on that other form and sophisticated accent to impress you." Mxy said, wiping invisible dirt from his suit. "But now, I can't use any of my powers, except to help those whom I have wronged."

"Oh, how sad for you." I sighed with annoyance.

He looked at me and answered like I actually cared. "Yes. A tragedy of Shakespearean proportions, I agree. But great news. Kara is the last one."

Kara sighed. "What could I possibly need your help for?"

Mxy snapped his fingers and Kara's TV turned on by itself. We both watched as the moment Lena admitted she had known Kara's secret and how much she truly hated Kara. Mxy interrupted. "Your best friend thinks that she is your enemy. And the worst part...It's your fault. You hid the truth from her. You let her find out from that sadist, Lex, and now, you think she could be capable of anything."

"What's your point?" Kara asked

"My point, toots, is this. I am offering you a do-over." Mxy admitted, jumping up on the counter. "I could send you back in time. Wouldn't you like to be able to tell Lena that you're Supergirl on your own terms? Wouldn't you like to see what the world would look like if you controlled the narrative? Haven't you hurt enough?"

I shook my head. "I don't know, Kara. This could be just another game."

"I get it. You don't trust me. Okay, but how's this? Ready? Now, by Fifth Dimensional law, I am required to give you this recording." Mxy jumped from the counter and a tape recorder appeared in his hand. "My name is said backwards on the tape. If I do something you do not like you can just play the tape and banish me back to the Fifth Dimension."

I noticed the look on Kara's face. "You're not seriously thinking of doing this, are you?"

Kara pulled me off to the side so we could have a more personal conversation. "What if I could change things? If I told Lena that I was Supergirl before Lex, maybe she would have reacted differently. I mean, isn't that worth a try?"

I was uneasy about the idea. "Changing history to save a friendship? Kara, I don't know…"

Kara grabbed my arms and shook her head. "No, this is changing history to save history, 'cause Lex and Lena are planning something horrible, and we are no closer to finding out what that is. And when the fight comes I don't know if I have what it takes to stop her."

I placed my hands on her shoulders. "Alright, listen to me. If you really think that this is your best chance to set things right with Lena before she hurts somebody…then do it."

"Thank Zook, you made the right choice." Mxy yelled, popping up between us. Both Kara and I screamed at his sudden appearance. "Sorry for spooking you. I'm still working on eavesdropping."

Kara made up her mind. "Okay, uh, before we do this, Mxy, I need your word that if things go sideways, you'll put it all back to normal."

"I am court-ordered to do so. Boop." Mxy poked Kara in the nose and stood before me with hands on his hips. "Now, no shade to Vampire Barbie, but it tends to work better when it's just me and the subject."

Before I could whine about him calling me Vampire Barbie, I was suddenly in my apartment. A note was laid on the counter that read. "I will return your girlfriend tonight, don't worry. Just do whatever it is you vamtronians do for fun. See you soon Vampire Barbie. ~Mxy"

I rolled my eyes and laid the note back on the counter. I sat down, grabbing my journal, a journal I would never let Kara read because of how much I wrote about her. I turned to a new page and decided to write a poem. Sadly, I used to be an angsty teen who did this all the time, it brought me a sense of peace. Since Kara was doing God knows what for God knows how long, I needed to pass the time. This poem was going to be about Kara, no surprise there.

**My Goddess**

_I see you across the room,_

_As if my vision is in zoom._

_Your smile is bright,_

_Just like spotlights._

_Your laugh is my favorite sound,_

_Even if it is scratchy and loud._

_Your eyes are the perfect shade blue,_

_Around you everything seems new._

_When I am not beside you,_

_I feel so out of tune._

_You are my everything,_

_So much so I want to sing._

_You are dear to me so,_

_And that is something I will always know._

_I love you my sweet,_

_No one can compete._

_You are my Goddess,_

_And I love you…_

After I finished writing, I just hung out at home. I wasn't needed at the DEO and having the break was nice. I cleaned up my apartment and finished the book I had been reading for months. Speed reading was so useful, Barry had it good. When I got bored I just scrolled through random channels on the TV.

I even tried calling Brainy so we could finish our conversation from earlier, but he didn't answer. Many hours of boredom later, Kara and Mxy suddenly appeared in front of me, almost giving my barely beating heart a heart attack. When Kara saw me she quickly hugged me tight and checked if I had any injuries. I looked from Kara to Mxy, "What happened? Why is she checking me over like I got hurt?"

Mxy explained. "We went into the past to see how things would have turned out if Kara told Lena the truth at different points in time. The last one we went to, Kara and Lena had never become friends in the first place. There was a huge battle…"

"And you died protecting me." Kara interrupted with wet eyes. "I knew it wasn't you, but watching it happen right in front of me felt real. We managed to get out and I made Mxy send us back here instead of my apartment. I wanted to make sure you were okay."

I leaned forward and took her hand in mine. "Hey, don't worry. I'm right here and I promise, I'm not going anywhere."

I leaned my forehead against hers and we both closed our eyes. Kara moved back and took my face in her hands. She stroked the side of my cheek, my eyes closing peacefully. Mxy took this as his cue to leave. "I'll be off. I hear Miami is nice this time of year."

Kara turned toward him. "Thank you, Mxy."

Mxy looked at her with surprise. "Why are you thanking me? We didn't change anything? You're still stuck in the same dilemma as before."

"Maybe we didn't change the future, but you did help me." Kara said with a small smile. "I now know that anything I would have tried would have ended with terrible consequences. I just have to live with the actions I took and move forward. You made me realize that and I'm grateful."

Mxy genuinely smiled. "Thank you too. Today was nice, traveling around with you. It made me feel like I actually had friends. Until next time Supergirl." Mxy looked toward me. "And Vampire Barbie."

"I am not…" I shouted just as he vanished from the room.

Kara laughed at my annoyance with the phrase. "I don't know, I kind of like it."

"Don't you start..."

"I won't, I promise." Kara smiled wide. We stood there smiling at each other like a bunch of idiots when Kara suddenly blurted out the most random thing. "I want you to move in with me."

I looked at her with shock. "Really? Isn't it too early for that? Also what about the light and my blood bags...I…"

Kara placed a finger over my lips so I would stop rambling. She directly looked into my eyes. "I can buy thick curtains and the bottom drawer is always empty, so your blood can go there. We have been through a lot together and I want to keep you safe. What do you say? Will you move in with me?"

I knew my answer instantly, "Yes, of course I will."

Kara's smile widened as she kissed me passionately. I kissed her back with the same type of smile. "I have to go talk to Lena before the night is over. Tomorrow morning I'll come over and help you pack. I love you."

Before I could return the sentiment, she was gone. After Kara left I felt like I could fly. She wanted me to move in. Just the thought of waking up to see Kara every morning made my heart flutter. I decided to get some fresh air and headed to the roof. It was always a place where I could relax and enjoy the brightly lit stars. I leaned against the balcony and breathed in the fresh air. It was nice to just sit still, since I hadn't done that in a long time.

I watched the stars for quite awhile when I suddenly felt the presence of someone else. I listened and heard no heartbeat, but I knew someone was there. I was about to turn around when the figure appeared behind me, placing one hand over my mouth and the other to hold my arms down. I could tell by the size of the hand it was a man and he definitely wasn't human.

He moved closer to my ear, his breath hot on my face. "Hello again, Carly…"

My stomach fell to the floor in an instant. I'd recognize that voice anywhere. He moved his one hand down to my neck so I couldn't turn my head to look at him, but I could speak. "How are you alive, Remus?"

"I died when Cillian staked me, but then the universe was put back together. Lucky for me it undid my death so I could come for you again." He sniffed my hair and exhaled loudly. "You smell just as delectable as I remember."

I scoffed. "Do you really still want to hurt Deirdre? Is that what this is? Kill me so she feels my pain?"

"No, not this time." Remus said with annoyance. "Originally, that was the idea, but then I made a new friend. He's going to help us vamtronians get back on our feet after you and your friends messed with everything. He wants you and I don't really care what he does with you after that."

That's when I realized he could only be talking about one man. "Lex…"

He affirmed my fears. "Lex, made a hell of a bargain and I just can't refuse. Besides, I'll be leaving you with a gift. Deirdre will sense what is about to happen and then she will go running to your friends. My last gift to you before me and my people leave town for good."

"You're going to leave Deirdre and Cillain on their own?" I said with disbelief

He scoffed. "Yes. I have controlled her life for hundreds of years and I am tired of the mess. She can stay here and pretend to be the good little vamtronian she is."

"So how are you going to send a message to Deirdre?" I asked with fake confidence. "Break my arm? Stab me? Maybe, tear something off?"

"No, I was thinking something a little more personal." Remus whispered in my ear. "Don't worry, I'm not supposed to kill you. Just sit back and enjoy it."

He tilted my head back and sunk his fangs into the side of my throat. I remember pain radiating throughout my body. Normally pleasure is what you felt, but his bite was different. There was no pleasure whatsoever and the pain was too much to bare, causing me to pass out.

* * *

Lex returned to his off base lab where he had told Lena to meet him. When he arrived she was pouring herself a drink. The look on her face said it all. "You had a chat with Kara, didn't you?"

Lena nodded. "Yeah, this time instead of begging to apologize she outright said that it was my choice. If I went down this dark path with Non Nocere she will do everything in her power to stop me. So, either I forgive her or she's my enemy."

"Has this spat scared you from your goal?" Lex asked, pouring himself a drink. "Don't let false gods like Kara affect you so."

"Her words are not going to stop me. I want this project to work and now that I have the cube from Winn's ship, I can do just that. Once I crack the code of how it works my plan will be back in motion." Lena said, noticing the look on Lex's face. "What are you up to?"

"You'll see very soon."

Brainy entered the room with an anxious look on his face, but he tried to act like what he was about to say didn't affect him as badly as it truly did. "Remus has been sent to retrieve Carly."

Lena's eyes went wide, choking on her whiskey. "How is Remus alive and why in the hell are you making him kidnap Carly?"

"Well, sis, I'll tell you." Lex said with a gloating smile. "When this new earth was formed, Remus' death was reversed. I don't know why or how, but it was. I made him a deal he couldn't refuse. Once he helps me get Carly, he'll be leaving town for good so his kind will stop killing in the city. Taking Carly, well, you'll find out when she arrives."

"And you're okay with this?" Lena asked, looking directly at Brainy. "You're okay with kidnapping one of your friends?"

Brainy gritted his teeth. "It is the only way to save the future."

Lena turned to Lex. "I was harsh on Carly and even with my anger toward Kara, I felt bad for my actions. I am trying to do no harm and I know now my actions toward Carly were rash and uncalled for. What are you planning to do to this poor girl?"

That's when a rush of wind hit the trio. They turned toward the door to see Remus carrying something in his arms. He stopped in front of them and dropped me onto the floor, knocking whatever air was in my lungs outward.

"Here she is, now give me what I want." Remus demanded.

Lex pulled a note from his pocket and handed it to the vamtronian. "Inside is the address and key to get in. It's an old abandoned hotel I bought years ago, it's all yours."

"Pleasure doing business with you."

Remus vanished out of the room as Brainy ran around and kneeled beside me. He checked me for injuries, when he noticed the bite on my neck. He looked up at Lex. "You said Remus was just going to bring her here. Not turn her into dinner."

"She would have never come if he hadn't weakened her. She'll live and tomorrow we start the process." Lex said with excitement.

"Process of what?" Lena asked

"Unlocking her true potential."


	23. I'm So Sorry

I woke up to find myself tied to a chair. I pulled at the ropes, but I wasn't at full strength. I was weak, but if I could get my hands free I could still kick anyone's ass who decided to come into the room. As if in answer to my thoughts, the door opened with Lex and Lena approaching me.

I knew Lex was involved and I suspected Lena was a part of this plot, but now I knew for sure. They stopped in front of me and I struggled against the ropes. Lex just smiled, "I see your finally awake."

"What are you up to, Lex?!" I yelled with anger. "Why go through so much trouble to kidnap me? What the hell do you want with me?!"

He crouched down beside the chair. "I love power as many people know. I'm trying to buddy up with Leviathan, but I need someone who can protect me if things go sideways. I'm a smart cookie, but strength is just not my strong suit. I need a bodyguard and I thought you would be the perfect candidate."

"Are you serious?" I asked with laughter. "I am never going to be a bodyguard for you. I would rather push you in front of a moving train then pull you from the tracks. You should've chosen someone who actually likes you. Oh wait, no one does." I looked at Lena. "Not even your sister."

Anger flared in Lex's eyes as he stood up with a murderous look. For a second, I thought he was going to attack me, but instead, he gritted his teeth, relaxed his shoulders, and smiled. Lena looked from Lex to me and tried to keep her mouth shut. I could tell just by the look in her eyes she had no idea this was going to happen. She was here, but she wasn't the one who orchestrated my kidnapping. She stayed silent as Lex returned to a cool calm state.

"I don't need you to like me, Carly. You won't have a choice in the end." Lex said, snapping his fingers which caused Lena to roll her eyes and open the box she held. A single syringe laid in velvet and Lex picked it up in his hands. "This right here is my own concoction. I took Lena's contacts and made a more potent formula, an injectable controllant."

"It won't work, Lena already tried the contacts on me and nothing happened."

"That's because she didn't realize your makeup was all wrong." Lex explained, pointing the syringe at me. "Her device would work on the human mind, but you are not human anymore. Your half status makes it difficult to manage as you are part vamtronian and part human, but if you were to become fully one or the other well then it would work just fine. With a little push we'll be ready to go and this bad boy will do the trick."

"So, you want to make me unable to lie and cheat and kill?" I asked with doubt. "That doesn't sound much like you, Lex."

Lex laughed to himself. "I altered the formula to my liking. Now you may live freely except for the mind control I included. You defy an order and...well...pain will erupt in your frontal cortex, bringing you to your knees. You defy for too long and it might even kill you."

Lena's eyes went wide. "Lex, I thought we agreed no killing. The whole point of my project is to cure the people of their hatred and murder, not cause more of it. This was not part of the plan."

"It is only an insurance policy, sis." Lex came up behind me and placed his head beside mine. "As long as Carly follows orders then there won't be an issue. Besides, she will only kill if it is absolutely necessary, Scout's Honor."

I turned while his head was still beside mine. "My friends will find me."

"No, they won't. I had a chat with Deirdre yesterday afternoon." Lex smiled, making his way back to Lena. Both saw my sudden fear and he tried to squash it. "She is alive and well, no need to worry. I just gave her something to help her sleep. She slept right through your pain and won't remember me coming to her home. She should be asleep for another hour or so, which means we don't have much time to get done what needs to be done."

"And what would that be?" I asked

Lex set the syringe on the table beside him and motioned to the door as two goons carried a crying girl came into the room. They handed her to Lex and cut my ropes, grabbing my arms, and pulling me from the chair.

"You remember how a half vamtronian becomes whole, Carly?" Lex asked, moving hair from the girl's neck. "You have to kill. Life for a life. You kill her and your human side dies with her."

I shook my head. "I won't kill her."

Lena stepped between us. "Lex, you never told me you were going to do this. You said you were taking her and injecting your refined serum of my work into her. That was bad enough, but this...you're going to force Carly to transition into something she never wanted, while killing an innocent girl. I might be cruel, but this is going too far."

"Sometimes to win you have to do bad things." He said as a goon grabbed Lena's arms. "Isn't that something you said once, sis?"

Lena shook her head. "I didn't mean this. I never meant this."

Lex turned his attention back to the girl and I. He pulled out a knife and quickly cut the side of the girl's throat. Not enough to kill her, but she was bleeding quite a bit. I saw the blood and gritted my teeth. I was starving and we both knew If I bit that girl I wouldn't be able to stop myself.

"Daniele Lanzarotta once said bloodlust was a disease that makes us the monsters we are known to be; it is what wipes away the last of our humanity. Let's test that theory." He wiped some blood onto his finger and had a guard hold the girl. He moved closer, wagging his finger in front of me.

I tried to hold back, but my fangs extended without my control. I hissed at him and fought against the goon's grip. The girl saw my face and screamed. Lex smugly smiled and brought the finger to his own lips. He licked it clean and motioned for his guards to move. The goon holding the girl brought her forward and pushed her onto her knees. The goon holding my arms did the same thing to me.

I knew any second whatever composure I had would be lost. I didn't want to hurt this girl and I definitely didn't want to do it in front of all these people, but I knew I couldn't escape. I wouldn't be able to fight them all and my will to fight this hunger was weaning.

I looked over at the girl whose face was soaked with tears. "What's your name?"

She looked through her tearfilled eyes and whispered, "Sara."

"Sara, listen to me, okay?" I began to cry myself. "I don't want to hurt you, but I won't be able to control myself much longer. Just know I never wanted this to happen, okay?"

"I believe you." Sara said, wiping away a tear. This is when the fear in her face transformed into confidence. She knew escape wasn't an option, but if she was going to die she wouldn't do it crying. "Is it going to hurt?"

"Only for a moment." I gasped, biting my tongue hard enough to cut myself. "Then you will be filled with complete ecstasy."

Lex was getting impatient with our talking so he made the goons push us mere inches apart. They moved back as my face hovered over the crook of her neck. I sat there for a moment just crying. She whispered in my ear. "Don't feel guilty. It wasn't your fault."

My mouth was millimeters from her bloody throat. The smell hit me instantly and I knew there was no chance I could pull back now. I licked the blood up with my tongue, causing Sara to shiver. I whispered in her ear, "I'm sorry."

I exhaled a breath I didn't know I was holding and sunk my fangs into her neck. My razor teeth sliced through her skin without resistance, penetrating deep into the flesh of her throat. When her blood hit my tongue it was like nothing I had ever tasted, almost up there with Kara's.

Sara grasped the back of my sweater, moaning quite loudly. At that moment I wished Kara was here with me, but I knew that I would never feed on her unless I had no other choice. I latched onto the wound with my entire mouth and began to greedily suck upon it, like a ravenous beast. I could feel her grip weakening on my sweater, but I couldn't stop myself. Even as I tasted her, I knew it wasn't enough. I would always need more. Always.

I drank and drank until her arms fell to the side. I dropped Sara on her back, her blood dripping down my chin. That's when pain erupted throughout my body. I fell onto my back, gasping for air. Lena had begun to cry watching me go through such agony.

Pain radiated through every part of my body and then it stopped as if a switch was flipped. I felt strength come to my limbs I had never felt before. I stood up, cracking the bones in my neck. I faced the group and opened my eyes to reveal how red they had become with fangs protruding from my canines and the tooth right beside it.

I could feel power running through my fingertips and anger, so much anger. I looked over at Lex with red eyes. I tried to lunge at him, but his goons grabbed me. I threw one across the room and knocked the others on their ass. I walked toward Lex again when the door opened. I looked over and was shocked to see who was standing there.

Confusion spread across my face as I looked at him. He was crying with so much guilt on his face it was suffocating him. I lapsed in focus which allowed the goons to grab me and this time, I didn't fight them. Brainy came to stand beside Lex as he handed the syringe to him. "You may do the honors."

Brainy took the syringe in his hand and approached me. His eyes met mine and he could see how much this hurt me. "Brainy, how could you?"

"It's the only way to save the future. I'm sorry, Carly."

Brainy jabbed the needle into my neck and injected the liquid. Suddenly, I felt a tickling on my brain and I recognized the feeling instantly. I gasped as my eyes glazed over. I could still feel and think on my own, but I knew this time it was a success. Which meant if I went against Lex, I could die.

The goon holding Lena let her go and went to help the others drag the poor girl from the door. I watched with tear-flooded eyes as they took her away. Lena looked down at me with genuine worry, her old self was starting to break through. She shook her head and left the room. While Brainy stepped back, but stayed beside Lex.

I collapsed onto my knees as Lex crouched down beside me. "Now Carly, go back to your apartment. When I call on you for assistance you will come and you must tell none of your Super Friends, not even your precious Kara. Can you do that?"

I looked up at him with gritted teeth. "Yes...but how am I supposed to hide this...I was planning to move in with Kara this morning…"

Brainy's eyes went wide and then saddened even more. He knew what he had done was one of the worst things he could've done, but he was so focused on saving the future that nothing else mattered. He was starting to realize that he might be becoming the bad guy he never wanted to be.

"You can move in with Kara, just be careful." Lex said with warning. "Act like the sun still burns you and that you can only run fast instead of fly. Hide your new abilities until you are again with me because if they see your power they will wonder how that occured and my plan will be destroyed. If I can befriend Leviathan we can destroy them from the inside and if your Super Friends stop me, there will be no stopping them."

"What if I just killed you?" I threatened with a murderous look in my eye. "You die, the commands are void. I could just drain you into husk and end this whole mess."  
"I know you could, but you can't." Lex said with a smug smile. "You follow my orders or pain follows and I also installed a fail safe. You kill me and your brain is flooded with ashwood particles that are so small that by the time your friends could get them all out you would already be dead. So, let's play nice and maybe I'll let you go in the end. I'll be calling you soon."

Lex got to his feet and left the room with the remaining guards. Brainy stayed where he was as I got to my feet. "Carly, I'm sorry."

He placed a hand on my shoulder which I promptly slapped off. "Don't touch me, Brainy."

"Carly…"

I cut him off before another word could escape. "I understood why you were working with Lex, but this...THIS?! You made me into something I never wanted to be and injected the controllant into my brain yourself. Everything I do from now is your fault, Brainy. You did this..."

I pushed past him and left. When I arrived home, I shoved my pain deep down. I had to follow Lex's orders, otherwise I would be in excruciating pain and I also didn't want Kara to find out what had happened. She would blame herself and I didn't want that.

I went to the mirror to look myself over. I looked like I had yesterday, aside from paler skin and darker bags. I revealed my new fangs and eyes and it actually made me jump. Before this my eyes never changed color and now they were a blood red. My fangs had also only been a pair, but now I had four. I looked like a monster.

I placed a hand on my heart and felt no beat. I did not need to breathe or blink and my skin was pale as marble and cold as an ice. I was dead. Any doctor would think I was dead. I wouldn't grow old, I would be stuck at 24 forever.

My eyes returned back to green with my fangs retracting. My chest began to rise rapidly and I collapsed on the floor hyperventilating; I was having a panic attack. I didn't need to breathe and my heart no longer beat, but I still felt the nausea. I clutched at my chest in an automatic response and laid there sobbing.

I noticed movement on my balcony and looked over to see Deirdre had flown up, face filled with worry. She saw my condition and broke the lock on the door to come in the apartment. I continued to hyperventilate as she ran over to me. "I woke up filled with panic. What's wrong? Why are you on the floor like this?"

I gasped. "Pan...ic...attack."

"Panic attack?" Deirdre asked with confusion. "You have panic attacks?"

I shook my head. "Haven't...had one...since I was...sixteen."

The world began to spin around me as tears continued to flow. Deirdre decided to help me to the couch and get me comfortable. She knew distracting me would lower my breathing so she did something i had not expected, she kissed me.

My eyes went wide and my breathing stopped with surprise. She pulled back and I sat there dumbfounded. She noticed the look on my face. "Don't look at me like that. I heard distracting someone having a panic attack with something unexpected causes them to slow their breathing. Kissing you seemed like the only unexpected thing I could think of."

"Well...thanks." I said, catching my breath and wiping the tears from my face.

"Why were you having one now? I'd have expected a panic attack to have striked during the crisis or in the beginning of this entire mess, why now?" Deirdre asked

"I can't tell you."

"Carly, please."

"No."

I tried to get off the couch, but she grabbed my hand. Without thinking I bared my fangs at her and Deirdre's eyes went wide. I realized my mistake and my hand flew up to cover my mouth. She rose from the couch with even more worry. "Who did this to you? Did Lex do this?"

My fangs had retracted and the tears resurfaced. I began to cry as Deirdre brought me in for a hug. I clung to her and soaked her sweater with tears. I was dead...how could I be dead? I wanted to stay in her arms until I turned completely to tears, but then I heard a knock at the door.

That's when I realized that it was Kara at the door. I pulled back from Deirdre. "You need to go. Kara is coming over and she can't know about this."

"You can't just not tell her."

"If I tell her, I could die." I said with honesty in my eyes. "Lex did something to me that if I defy his orders I will be struck with pain and if I let it go on too long it could kill me. I can only tell you because he gave the order without mentioning you. I will tell Kara when I can. Now go, I will call you later I promise. Please, don't tell anyone. I'll explain everything later."

Deirdre looked reluctant to leave but then another knock sounded at the door. She looked from the door and back to me, sadly nodding. She disappeared and I wiped my eyes, put on a smile, and answered the door. Kara was standing on the other side with a bright smile, just seeing it made my terror lessen, which made it easier to hide.

"You ready to move in?" Kara asked

"Never more ready…"


	24. Living With a Burden

My apartment was empty. Kara and I used our speed to pack everything into boxes, distracting me from how broken I truly felt. I still felt like me, but not me. I felt empty like a part of me had died, which in reality it had. My human side was gone. Everything I used to be was gone.

I wanted to curl in a ball and cry, but I knew it was impossible. I wanted to tell Kara everything, but I also knew the impossibility of that. I was trapped and all I wanted to do was scream. So I focused on getting the majority of my stuff, Kara said she would have someone come over to get the rest later.

I worked on my bedroom while Kara worked on the other parts of the house. I found my journal hidden under my bed and I shoved it deep into the box, covering it with clothes and trinkets. When I had time to unpack, I would find a place to hide it.

Once packed, Kara took a few boxes at a time and flew them to her apartment. Once clear, since it was cloudy, we walked back to her apartment side by side. Now that I was a full vamtronian I no longer had to fear the sun, but Kara didn't know that. When we arrived, my boxes were set in the corner and Kara said we could deal with them later.

Kara and I sat on the couch together. Neither looking toward the other, our eyes staring up at the white of the ceiling. Kara was the first to speak, "I'm really happy you wanted to move in. I was so nervous you would say no."

"I would never say no to you."

Kara rolled her head to look toward me. I felt her eyes on my face so I did the same. I could get lost in her eyes for hours. Watching the ocean blue twinkle in the light. Her smile faded as I felt a tear roll down my cheek.

Her hand rose to my face and she wiped the tear away, her hand lingering. "What's wrong?"

I wanted to tell her so badly...I almost did when this sharp pain seize my side. Just thinking about it made the pain surface and I knew saying it would be worse. I opened my mouth to spout some lie when my phone rang. I got off the couch and answered the call, wiping my face. "Hello?"

Lex's voice was on the other line. "I need you to meet me at the warehouse. I want to get you used to your powers. Come over immediately."

"But I…" A shot of pain went through my side, causing me to grit my teeth. Luckily, my back was to Kara. "I'll be right over."

I hung up and turned around to find Kara standing inches from me. Her face turned worried. "Where are you going?"

I shoved my phone in my pocket. "Deirdre wanted to meet and talk. It should only take a little while."

I grabbed my purse and keys from the counter. I made it to the door before she blocked my path. "Something is wrong I can feel it. What aren't you telling me?"

"Nothing, okay? I promise."

"Carly…"

I plastered a fake smile on my face. "Kara, I'm fine. I'll see you later." I kissed her cheek. "I love you"

I left before she could say another word. If she already suspected something was up I had a major problem. I headed to the warehouse and found Lex and Lena. I looked around and Lex sensed who I was looking for. "He isn't here. Brainy had to return to the DEO to help Nia Nal with something."

I sighed with crossed arms. "So, why am I here? You called when Kara was in the room with me. She already suspects something is wrong and she could have heard you through the dialer."

"She couldn't have." Lex said with a smug smile. "While you were out, I hacked your phone and wired it with some lead. She will never hear whoever is on the other line, but I hope you lessened her suspicion."

"Yeah, I told her Deirdre called so we could meet up, but I could tell she didn't fully believe me. It's only day one and I already know this is not going to work." I said, shaking my head.

"You just have to play it smart." Lex said, clearing his throat. "Now to why I called you here. You are a full vamtronian now and that comes with special abilities. Like flight and hypnotism. Before we can fight Leviathan I need to know you can use these abilities."

Lena stepped forward with a clipboard in hand. "He wants to see what you can do. So, could you try to fly and touch the ceiling above us." We all looked up. "It is probably 150ft in the air. Concentrate and see if you can place your hand on the metal."

"What if I fall?" I asked

Lex was annoyed. "You heal quite quickly, Carly. A fall will not kill you. Now concentrate and try to fly."

I rolled my eyes and took a few steps back from them. I jumped into the air and fell straight back down. With my abilities I could jump quite high, but not 150ft. So I continued at this for several minutes when I realized it wasn't working. I needed to try something else.

I closed my eyes and concentrated on the idea of flying. The feeling I felt when Kara carried me with her. The wind through my hair, the smell of crisp air, and the feeling of weightlessness. I imagined being in Kara's position and zooming through the sky watching the small cars travel and the lights flicker. I began to smile at this thought because anything Kara related always made me happy.

I suddenly felt the feeling of cool metal against the top of my head. I opened my eyes to realize my head was touching the ceiling. I looked down to see I had somehow flown all the way up without even realizing it. The second I did realize it, however, I freaked out and fell 150ft downward onto the floor.

Normally, all the air would have been knocked from me, but because I don't breathe anymore, I just felt an ache in my back. Lena ran over as Lex just slowly walked. She stood above me with actual worry in her eyes.

"Are you okay, Carly?" Lena asked, offering her hand to me. I considered pushing her hand away, but if I could buddy up with her, she might just help me. So, instead of slapping her hand away, I placed my hand in hers and she helped me to my feet.

Lex approached with crossed arms, but Lena was the one to speak. "What caused you to fly?"

"Kara…" I said with a small smile. "I thought of Kara."

Lex was annoyed at my horrible landing, but let it slide. He snapped his fingers and one of his guards approached with no emotion on his face whatsoever. Lex grabbed a chair and forced the guard to sit. "Now that we know you can fly, we need to practice your hypnotism ability. I want you to hypnotize him with whatever command you like, but if it is to kill me or Lena, well, you know how that will end. I have also placed a special device on the rest of my men, including Lena and I, so your ability will not work on us."

"What do you want me to make him do?" I asked

Lex shrugged. "Make him forget this conversation."

I looked from Lex to the guard. I sighed loudly and took a few steps forward. I placed my hands on the chair arms, leaning down so our faces were on the same level. I had never done this before and Deirdre had never told me how to even begin. So, I thought about how vampires in movies did it and I tried to replicate it.

I looked into the man's eyes as he did the same with me. I stared deep into them like I was trying to swim in the colors. Suddenly, I felt his warm feeling rush over me and the guard's arms went limp. I looked deeper, feeling this lock inside him snap and then I knew I'd gotten in.

I spoke my command. "I want you to forget this conversation ever happened. You went for a snack and returned to your post."

The man monotonically repeated me. When I took a step back he blinked, grabbed his gear, and went back to his station as if nothing had ever happened. This made Lex very happy, almost giddy. For a second I thought he might jump up and down while clapping his hands.

Instead a giant smile appeared on his ugly face. "That was excellent. Your first try and it worked, amazing. I have heard some minds are harder to crack, but with practice that could come in real use."

"Now that we know I am capable of flight and hypnotism, what now?" I asked

"Nothing...for now." Lex said, heading for the door. He turned back with a smile. "Now that we know you can accomplish what I need, I will call upon you when it's time to fight back. Until then act like nothing is the matter."

He left the room, whistling as he went. I looked from him toward Lena who began packing up her stuff. I used my speed to appear in front of her, grabbing her wrist before she could pick up her bag. I wasn't causing any pain, but I held her wrist hard enough where she couldn't slip free.

I looked from our hands up to her face. "Lena, I know you didn't want this to happen. You did a lot of bad things to me and I will never fully forgive you for it, but I do know you aren't a monster. The look on your face yesterday proved that. Now I know he is helping you with Non Nocere, but he isn't following your mission. He is hurting people and I know you hate it. Please, if any part of you still cares, help me."

"I don't know if I can." Lena said with honesty. "He made that formula without my knowledge. Lex would never share how he did it with me and reversing it without the ingredient list would be impossible. Besides, he is my partner, why would I defy him?"

I squeezed her hand slightly. "Lena, listen to me. I know you think what he did to me was wrong and I know you have the capability to reverse it. I know you hate Kara and all of us for lying to you, but this is life and death here. He could make me kill innocent people, Lena. I know you don't want that to happen so please just consider it. Please."

Lena was silent for a long moment before slightly nodding. I let her wrist go and she collected the rest of her belongings. She got to the door before turning back. "I'm sorry this happened to you. I truly am."

* * *

Kara sat back on the couch with confusion and worry. She could tell I was hiding something, but she couldn't understand why. We always told each other everything, so what changed? A few hours later she heard a knock at the door.

She hoped that it was me, but when she opened the door Nia was on the other side. Nia's eyes were puffy and tears stained her cheeks. Kara noticed Nia's disheveled state and brought her to the counter. Once situated, she made some hot cocoa for her.

"Nia, what happened?" Kara asked, handing a mug to Nia

Nia brought the drink to her lips, setting the cup down, and then explaining. "My friend Yvette was meeting this guy named Angus at a bar. She went out to meet him while I was in the bathroom. I came back to find her bleeding in the alleyway. Her date left a message that said the world doesn't want a trans superhero."

"Don't listen to his lies. You are just as real a hero as the rest of us. You save lives everyday and you should be proud of that." Kara said, placing her hands on Nia's shoulders.

"Don't get me wrong, I know I'm a good hero, but...he isn't the only one." Nia said, biting her lip. "I had J'onn do some research for me and Angus is a member of this online group. It's a hate group against transexual people, specifically transgender women who claim to be a fan of me."

Kara recognized the look on Nia's face. "Nia, hurting him is not going to solve anything. If we can figure out who he is, we can do this the right way."

"Kara, I tried and I am tired of waiting." Nia huffed. "Since this was your day off I got help from J'onn, Alex, and even had a short chat with...Brainy. They said it could take a few days to find this group and who Angus was since he wasn't in the crime database. This man needs to be taken off the streets and I can't wait a few days. He threatened my friend's life and I don't take that lightly."

"Nia, I understand…"

Nia shook her head and got up from her stool, turning back toward Kara with an annoyed look. "No, Kara. You don't understand. You will never understand what I am going through."

"Hey, maybe I don't." Kara said, getting off her stool. "But I understand being hated. I was bullied everyday when I was a kid for being weird. The first person I ever told I was bisexual to shut me out and never looked at me again because I was different. No, I'm not transgender and I won't ever fully understand what you go through, but I understand hate, better than most. But killing him is not the answer. You know that, Nia."

Nia shook her head. "I'm sorry Kara, but I can't wait. He is a threat as long as he is on these streets and I am going to bury him."

"Nia, please. If you kill him that blood will always be on your hands. You are a hero, heroes don't kill even if it's hard." Kara pleaded

"Sometimes to get things done you have to get your hands dirty."

Nia turned her back on Kara, slamming the door behind her. Kara pulled out her phone and dialed J'onn's cell. He picked up after one ring. "Nia stormed out of here with the intent to kill Angus. Please tell me you found something."

* * *

After my interesting morning with Lex, I got a call from Deirdre. She was worried about me and luckily due to Lex not giving the command more specifically I could tell Deirdre everything. We met up at a small restaurant on the poorer side of town, a place Lex would never be caught dead in. Deirdre ordered us salads, even though neither of us could actually eat it and then she wanted me to spill the beans.

I told her everything from Kara asking me to move in to being kidnapped to Lex making me kill Sara to having to lie to everyone and everything that happened this morning. Deirdre was silent for quite a while, taking in every word I said.

Then she spoke. "So, Lex drugs me and has my father kidnap you. Then he caused you to kill so he could have Brainy inject you with a liquid version of Lena's contacts. Now if he gives you a command you have to do it or you feel excruciating pain, so bad that it could kill you. Then if you try to kill him you'll die as well. Also Brainy works with them?"

I nodded. "Yeah, that's the gist of it."

"What if I killed him?" Deirdre asked. "What if I did the deed for you? Would this switch still go off?"

"Most likely." I said, running a hand through my hair. "So far he hasn't asked me to do anything drastic, just lying to everyone I care about. The only people I can truly talk to are you and Brainy, but I would rather turn him into a husk then hug him at the moment."

"Is there any way to remove the controlling liquid?" Deirdre asked

I shook my head. "As far as I know, no. If there is a way Lex is never going to tell me, but I did talk with Lena this morning and she seemed on the line. She might help me, but she also might just stay silent so Lex will continue to help her with Non Nocere. What makes this worse is when Kara finds out she is going to blame herself. I don't want her to know about my pain because I know it'll just make her worry more. I always cause her so much grief, I don't understand why she likes me."

Deirdre leaned forward, placing her hand on mine. "She likes you because you're a fighter. You fight this curse and try to make something good out of it. You could be what Lex says you are, but you aren't. You fight your darkness just as we all do. Besides, she loves you for you. Not the darkness in your soul."

"Does it get easier?" I asked, looking into her eyes. "Does the bloodlust get easier?"

"After a while, yes. Now that you are a full vamtronian it is easier to control, but since you are new it could be worse. It will take some time." Deirdre scrunched her face. "But eventually it will get better."

"I just want this nightmare to be over…" I said as my eyes wet with tears. "I moved in with Kara, but I can't tell her what's wrong or why I can't come too close. She already senses something weird and I don't know what to do. Hiding my new abilities is manageable, but my heartbeat I can't. As a half vamtronian my heart still beat, but now there is only silence. How the hell do I hide that?"

Deirdre moved back in her seat. She dug through her purse, pulling out a small device which she placed in my open palm. I took a closer inspection and saw a small button on the side, but I still had no idea what I was looking at. "What's this?"

She took the device back from me. "It's a heartbeat noise maker from a stuffed animal." She pressed the button and the device began to thump. "I turned the volume down while slowing it. As long as you keep it on you, she'll think you still have a heartbeat. It should work for the meantime, well, until we figure this out."

My eyes widened. "We?"

Deirdre rolled her eyes. "Yes, we. If you can only talk to Brainy and I then I am the only one who can help you. I can try my best to help you figure this out and remove Lex's control over you. Yet, reversing your transformation is impossible. I'm sorry."

"Don't be, it's not your fault. It's Lex and Brainy's." I said, anger rising within me. "I'm not surprised Lex would do something like this, but Brainy...he was my friend. I knew he was working with Lex to save the future and I kept his secret because if I was in his position I would do the same thing. But this was a different low. I would never have forced my friend to kill someone and then inject them with a controllant that causes them pain. I would have backed down, even if it meant the future would be lost. Brainy crossed a line and I don't know if I will ever be able to forgive him."

My phone began to ring. I wedged it from my pocket and saw Alex on the caller I.D. I put it up to my ear. "What's up, Alex?"

"Nia turned off her comms. A man attacked her friend and Nia took it as her job to fix it. Kara already went to the scene, but she needs back up. Nia might kill him." Alex quickly said

I looked toward Deirdre and she slowly nodded. I turned my attention back to Alex. "Where are they?"

I thanked Deirdre for the device and left the restaurant. Alex sent me the coordinates and I switched into my suit, shoving the device in one of the pockets; yes the suit had pockets. I arrived just as Kara approached Nia.

Kara yelled Nia's name, causing her stop in her tracks. Nia had the man on his knees wrapped in some sort of energy whip. The man was still trapped in her beam of energy as she turned to look toward Kara. I came to stand beside Kara as she spoke. "Nia, I know what he did to your friend was awful and the things he says even more so, but killing him will not solve anything. He deserves to be punished by the law."

"He deserves to die." Nia said, gritting her teeth and looking back down at Angus. She squeezed the whip so tight he began gasping for air.

I decided I would give it a shot. I stepped forward so I was in Nia's line of sight. "Nia, listen to me. You do not want his blood on your hands. He deserves to suffer for what he did, but if you kill him that blood will stain your hands. Heroes don't kill, they save. He will pay for his crimes, but not like this. Nia, let him go."

She glanced toward me. "He doesn't deserve to live. He and his group have harassed, beat, and murdered trans women. I am the only one who can stop people like him. I am the only one who can protect this community, my community. Men like him don't deserve the luxury of living."

"Nia, you have me." Kara cried with conviction. "I don't understand your pain, but I protect my city. Your community is a part of this city and that means I am here to save them with you and Carly by my side. Angus did awful things and he will be punished, but death is not the answer. Don't become the thing you swore to protect the city from."

Those last few words struck a chord. She stood there staring at the gasping man when she decided we were right. Killing him wouldn't solve anything. Nia made the whip vanish just to suckerpunch him straight in the face, knocking him out cold.

She turned back to look at us. "They want us to be invisible...because of their own fears. They want to erase us...so we need to shine brighter."

Angus' head hit the ground as blood dripped from his nose. The second I saw the blood, I froze like a statue. Deirdre said controlling my bloodlust as a full vamtronian would be easier, but it felt so much worse at this moment. My eyes locked on and I watched as it cascaded down his face onto the cement. The smell hit me next, like cinnamon and vanilla. I wanted it; bad.

Kara noticed my stiff posture and followed where I was looking. She quickly appeared beside me and pulled me in for a hug, pushing my face into her shoulder. Nia noticed the sudden movement and figured out what was happening quite quickly.

Kara looked toward Nia. "I'm going to take her home. Can you take him back to the DEO please?"

Nia pushed her anger aside. "Yeah, of course."

Kara and Nia nodded toward one another as I let Kara fly me back to her apartment. I knew now that I was a full vamtronian I could fly on my own, but if I told her...all hell would break loose.

We arrived at the apartment and I separated myself from Kara. I can't control anything in my life. I can't control my bloodlust and now I can't even make decisions because if I do one wrong thing I could fully well die. I wanted to tell Kara so badly, but I couldn't.

Kara noticed my restlessness. "Carly, talk to me. I know something is up. You have been acting strange ever since yesterday when I came to help you move in. Did something happen? Are you regretting moving in here?"

I shook my head. "No, I don't regret moving in here. Being near you makes me happier than I am on my own."

"Then why do you look so miserable?" Kara asked with crossed arms.

I bit my lip and looked down at my feet. I was on the verge of tears and in that moment I decided to tell her. I opened my mouth to speak and pain shot through me. I collapsed onto one knee. Kara appeared next to me, scanning for injuries and finding none. The pain ceased and I tried to push Kara away. "I'm fine, Kara. I'm fine."

I stood up on my own and she looked angry. "Do not tell me your fine! No one collapses in pain like that if something wasn't wrong. Carly, what's wrong? I can't help you unless you tell me what's wrong."

"I'm fine, it's just…" I looked into those hopeful eyes, my heart breaking. I had to lie again and it was tearing me apart. "I've been restless the last few days. I haven't been sleeping, I'm jumpy, and I have this constant fear that I'm going to lose control and hurt someone. I try to stay strong for you, but it's getting to me. Yesterday before you arrived I...had a panic attack and tonight when I almost attacked Angus it got to me even more."

I wasn't completely lying. I did have a panic attack and me almost attacking Angus caused me to feel awful, but that wasn't the complete truth either. Kara luckily bought the half truth and brought me in for a tight hug.

She continued to hug me as she spoke. "You will not hurt anyone on my watch. You're a beautiful person Carly and I will remind you of that everyday. Next time you feel this type of fear, come to me. I will comfort you as long as it takes to bring a smile back to your face."

I began to cry, soaking Kara's super suit. She was so loving and sweet, which made lying to her so much harder. Lying about my pain was not something I should do, but sometimes it's better to lie than tell the truth. When she pulled back she swept a strand of hair from my face and gave me a peck on the lips.

She squeezed my hand. "Let's go to bed."


	25. Tell Me What's Wrong

A week had gone by and it was always the same thing. Everyday I had to lie to Kara about my whereabouts before going to see Lex. So far he hadn't asked me to do anything too serious. I had pretty much trained and got used to the whole flying thing.

Kara had become more and more suspicious as the days went on. I tried to seem like everything was fine, but she could tell I was faking it. She questioned me everyday on where I went and what I did. I got really good at coming up with lies. She accepted them, but she wasn't happy about it.

My phone buzzed with a new message. I woke up to find Kara still fast asleep. I reached for my phone and double-tapped the notification. It took me to the messages and of course it was from Lex. The text read, "Come to the warehouse now. It's time for your first mission."

I rolled my eyes and quietly got out of the bed. Kara stirred, but didn't wake up. I got dressed and walked back over to the bed, kissing her forehead. I left a note on the counter to explain where I was, which was another lie, and then I quickly exited the apartment.

For the last week I had been running to the warehouse across town, but today I felt confident. I went to the back alley and pushed off the cement and into the air. I wasn't a perfect flyer, but I could get into the sky without worry now.

The only good thing that came out of all of this was the ability to fly. Feeling the wind through my hair was calming. I felt like a bird, traveling wherever I wanted. Once I landed I was brought back into my life and all crap I was forced into. At least for a little while I forgot my worries.

I arrived with a rocky landing and headed inside. Lex was busy so I had to wait for him in the room next door. While I was waiting, Brainy came into the room. I was prepared to leave, but he held up a hand. "Please, Carly. Just let me explain."

"What's there to explain?" I asked, crossing my arms. "You stood by as they made me kill someone and then with your own hands you made me Lex's puppet. Is there anything else I left out?"

Brainy tried to justify his actions. "Carly, I had to secure the future."

"Screw the future!" I yelled, causing Brainy to jump. "You broke any and all trust I had in you. I understood why you were working with Lex and I kept your secret because it wasn't my place to tell the others, but you went too far this time. If I had been in your position I would have stopped them, no matter if the future was lost."

Brainy spoke quieter. "I had to take into account the calculations."

I shook my head in disgust. "I am not a number, Brainy! Ever since you became your true "self", you've been different. All the emotion you used to have is gone. Do you feel anything anymore? Regret? Pain? Remorse? Because all I see in front of me is an android pretending to be human."

"I am the same, Brainiac." Brainy replied

"No, you aren't." I said, biting my lip. "The Brainy I knew would've never done something like this. You cared more about your friends than anything else."

Brainy looked down at his feet then back up at my face. "Will you ever forgive me?"

"No, I don't think I can Brainy. You crossed a line and even if we get through this unscatched that will always be there." I walked up to Brainy and looked him directly in the eye. "Trust is like a piece of paper. Once you crumble it into a ball, even if you straighten it out again, it will never be how it was."

I walked past him and he didn't try to stop me. As I left the room I sadly ran into Lena who escorted me to where Lex was. We entered to find him at a large table. I sat down with Lena taking a seat next to Lex.

Lex leaned forward. "Carly, I need you to pick up a prisoner and escort him back to this facility. You must retrieve him and bring the man back here. No detours or pit stops."

Question appeared on my face. "Why do you need a prisoner?"

Lena answered. "The animal trials for my new contacts were a success. So Lex thought I should do my first human trial to see how my contacts will react to the human brain."

"What if you kill him?" I asked with concern. "At least testing on me, made sure no one died. What if this plan of yours backfires and you end his life?"

Lena shook her head. "It won't come to that, I promise. The worst that could happen is that it has the opposite effect. Besides, it's not like we're doing this against his will, he agreed to do this for us. I need to make sure these contacts actually work before I give them to the public. This is the safest way to do so."

Lex interrupted. "The guards will escort him to the gate. From there you need to get him back here. Can you do that?"

"I don't...aw…" I clutched the table, leaving handprints. It felt like someone had stabbed me and began to twist the knife within my stomach.

Lex noticed my pain and smirked. "What was that? I don't think I heard you?"

I gritted my teeth with a fake smile. "Ye...ess. I can do that. Right away."

I got up from the table with the pain subsiding. Lena walked around the table and gave me directions to the prison. As I left, Brainy was standing outside the door. He tried to talk to me, but I quickly left before he had the chance. I wasn't in the mood for another crappy apology.  
I decided to take one of Lex's cars because I wasn't in the mood to fly there. I didn't want to be in my suit when I picked up the prisoner because if this went sideways, I didn't want Vamtrona involved. I took the long route so I could clear my head and try not to think of all the wrongness of what I was about to do. If he died, it was my fault and Lex knew it too.

When I arrived the guards were outside with the handcuffed prisoner. I parked the black van and got out to meet them. They looked at one another with concern.

"You're here to pick up the prisoner?" One asked

The other had the same look on his face. "Just you?"

"I'm stronger than I look boys." I said, grabbing the prisoner's arm and pulling him forward within the blink of an eye. "And faster too."

They quickly nodded and almost ran back into the building. I smiled at their sudden nervousness. I maneuvered the prisoner into the back of the van and I got in front. When we were on our way, he tried to make conversation. "You're strong for a little thing."

"Yeah, well...I work out a lot…" I said, quickly changing the subject. "Can I ask why you agreed to do this? Be a lab rat for the Luthors?"

"They said they'd shorten my time in prison." The prisoner shrugged. "They have a lot of power and money so if they can help me out then why not."

"What did you do to get put in prison?" I asked

The prisoner leaned forward in his seat. "I robbed a bank. My family was low on money and we were desperate. My daughter really wanted this necklace for her birthday. I wanted to be able to get her one nice thing so I robbed the bank in hopes I could buy it for her. Sadly, I was caught before I had the chance."

"How old is your daughter?" I asked

"She's 18 now." The prisoner smiled to himself. "I wanted to get the necklace for her on her 16th birthday so after these tests I might be out for her next one."

I told him the bad side to this. "This is a test trial. Things could go bad, you know that right?"

He nodded. "I know, but it's the only choice I have at seeing my family again. Wouldn't you take life threatening risks for the people you love?"

"Yeah, yeah I would."

* * *

Kara woke up, finding herself alone. She listened with her ears in case I was in another part of the apartment, but she only heard silence. She got up to investigate and found a note on the counter addressed to her.

The note read, "Deirdre asked me to go shopping with her so I'll be out for most of the day. See you tonight. Love, Carly."

Kara's face scrunched up with doubt because she knew I hated shopping. I only ever got clothes from thrift stores because I liked the way older clothing was made. Kara pulled out her phone and tried to call me, but there was no answer. At that point she was going to leave it alone, but then a knock sounded at the door.

She threw the note back on the counter and answered the door to find Deirdre on the other side, a cooler in hand. Kara moved aside so Deirdre could come inside and set the cooler on the counter. Now Kara knew I was lying.

Deirdre turned toward Kara as she closed the door. "Carly told me to bring her blood from the apartment. She had left it behind when she moved in here and so I thought I would help out."

"Have you seen Carly today, by chance?" Kara asked

Deirdre shook her head. "No, I only talked to her on the phone. Why?"

Kara walked over to the counter and handed the note to Deirdre. She read it and her eyes went wide. "Carly, left this note for me this morning. She said she would be out most of the day shopping with you. Now if you're here and you only talked with her on the phone, where is she?"

"I think I should go." Deirdre quickly turn-tailed it for the door.

Kara was just as fast and blocked the only exit. "You know something and I need you to tell me. Carly has been acting strange for the last few days and I know you know why. She told me about her panic attack, but there's more, isn't there?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about…" Deirdre backed up toward the living room.

Kara stepped forward at the same pace Deirdre backed away. "Yes, you do. Carly has always been open with me, but something has happened. She is distant and never home. It has been a week since she moved in and I never see her. I can tell she is avoiding me, but I want to know why."

"I have no idea…" Deirdre quickly said

Kara appeared in front of Deirdre and grabbed her by the front of her shirt. "Don't lie to me Deirdre. Even without a heartbeat, I can tell you're lying. What happened and why won't Carly tell me? Why did she tell you and not me?"

"I can't tell you. If I do, it could put Carly's life in danger." Deirdre said with complete honesty. "She is trying her best to keep you safe. She only told me because of a simple loophole. Carly is doing her best to fix this situation, but if she tells you things could get worse. You just have to trust her. If she's hiding something, it must be for good reason."

"Deirdre, I'm worried about her." Kara said, letting go of Deirdre's shirt. "I don't think I have seen her smile once since she moved in. I catch her crying and pushing me away. Is it because she regrets moving in here?"

Deirdre quickly shook her head. "Of course not. She loves you with all her heart. It's just a bad situation that she has to handle on her own. If she tells you, it could cause her serious pain and I know you don't want that."

"Why would it cause her serious pain?" Kara asked with desperation. "If she's in pain I want to know about it. Just tell me."

"I can't. She'll tell you when the time is right. Just trust her."

Deirdre stepped around Kara and quickly left the apartment. Kara watched her leave as her phone rang. She put it up to her ear with a frantic Kelly on the other line. Kara's eyes went wide. "Alex, did what?!"

* * *

Once the prisoner and I arrived, Lena got to work. She connected the contacts to him and began the tests while placing him in a glass box to keep everyone else safe. At first everything seemed to be on the up and narrow, but then it backfired. When the test failed for a third time, the prisoner had changed. He seemed more angry and irritated, like he would rip one of our heads off if he could get close enough.

Lena tried to control him, but he was getting to be too much and she knew that this couldn't continue. She disconnected the contacts and hoped it would calm him down, but it made no change. Instead of causing him to become happier, it had the exact opposite effect. He slammed his fists into one of the glass walls of his cage.

Lex realized the situation was getting out of hand so he had to do something quick. He came over to me and asked for my assistance. "Carly, I need you to hypnotize the prisoner so that he calms down. If that doesn't work then I'm going to need you to kill him."

I shook my head. "I'm not going to kill him, Lex."

"Well, then you better hope this works."

I approached the glass box that the prisoner was in and Lena unlocked the door. I stepped inside and he tried to throw a punch at me. I caught his fist midair and held onto it as I looked into his chocolate brown eyes. His mind was harder to crack so it took me longer to get in, but when I did, he was like jello.

I looked deep into his eyes. "I need you to calm down."

I saw his lips prepared to repeat what I had said, but something happened. Something severed our connection and the anger returned to his face. Whatever Lena's contacts had done could not be hypnotized away. He grabbed at my throat and slammed my back into one of the glass walls, shattering it. We fell through the hole with him pinning me to the floor.

I looked over at Lex and he nodded. I didn't want to hurt this man, but I could feel the pain rising inside as I tried to refuse the order. I tried to talk some sense into him, but he wouldn't listen. His hands wrapped around my throat and he tried to strangle me, since I didn't need to breathe, it had no effect.

I grabbed both his hands and pryed them from my neck, headbutting him. I got to my feet as he slowly did the same. He lunged at me, causing me to throw him across the room. I kept yelling for him to stop, but he wouldn't. It was like he was in some sort of trance, he wouldn't stop until either I killed him or he killed me.

He lunged at me for a third time and this was my last shot to put some sense into him. He grabbed at my shoulders and my hands were on his. I pleaded. "Calm down!"

I felt this wave travel from the prisoner, through my hands, and into myself. His body loosened while my body tensed up. Lena, Lex, and I were all shocked. Lena was the first to ask. "What did you just do?"

The man let go of my shoulders with a peaceful smile on his face. I looked from him to Lena. "I...I...don't know. I just touched him and pleaded for him to calm down. Then he did."

"It's because you have a special ability." Brainy explained, coming into the room. "I was trying to tell you earlier when you ran off. Some vamtronians have special abilities and yours is that you take bad feelings from others. You can take another's sadness, anger, or pain into yourself, relieving their suffering."

"That's possible…" I said, looking down at my hands.

Brainy nodded. "Yes, it is. You can take that emotion into yourself. If someone were dying you could take their pain so they would die without anguish. Downside is you will then be angry, sad or in pain until you use it up. By crying, screaming or punching something. Sometimes the feeling is manageable, but other times it can cause you to explode, especially if you take from multiple people. Like right now, do you feel angry?"

That's when I realized my fists were clenched and my body rigid. "Yes, I feel angry. I wish I could rip someone's head off honestly."

Lex laughed. "Excellent. You are even more fantastic than I originally thought. What a wonderful thing. More tests will be done on the prisoner in the coming days and maybe we'll crack the code faster than we thought."

Two guards approached and took the man away. I still wanted to rip someone's head off, but I kept it pushed down. Lex came up beside me and placed his hand on my shoulder. I almost whipped around to snap his arm, but I breathed deeply instead. "You did good today, Carly. Now that we know what the side effects can be to these contacts we can try to fix them for next time. You really are a wonder."

Lex wandered off into another room and Lena began to follow. When Lex had left, she approached me. "Meet me at L Corp early tomorrow morning and I'll take some blood. If I can pinpoint the formula I might be able to reverse engineer the antidote, but we have to keep this a secret. If Lex finds out we are both screwed."

"Who would I even tell?" I asked

Lena nodded and hurried toward the door. I stood there clenching my fists tight. Brainy came over to me and with the anger I had combined with new anger I wanted to kill him, but I gritted my teeth and stopped. "How do I make this anger go away?"

"You have to use it." Brainy stepped forward. "Punch me. It wont rid you of all the anger, but it will allow you to control it."

I didn't even hesitate as my fist flew out, hitting Brainy in the chest. The second my fist made contact he went flying into the opposite wall. I felt like a weight was lifted from my shoulders. I was angry, but more of a silent one. I approached Brainy and helped him up. "Thank you, but this does not mean I forgive you for the other day."

"I know, but I just wanted you to know I truly am sorry for everything. I hope this eases some of your pain." Brainy wandered off, leaving me on my own.

I was feeling good for the first time in the last week, even if I was a little angry. Lena was willing to help me and I had a special ability to take other's pain, I could help others even more than I thought I could. I made it to the apartment and when I entered I saw an angry Kara sitting at the table. My smile vanished quickly.

She got up from the table, her arms never uncrossing. "Where were you?"

I quickly responded. "Didn't you read the note?"

"Yeah, I read it..." Kara said with fire in her eyes. "First off, you said you were going shopping with Deirdre, which was a red flag as you hate shopping. Second, Deirdre stopped by the apartment with no clue of these plans. So, I'm going to ask again...where were you?"

"Kara, I can't tell you." I said, looking down at my feet.

Sadly, Kara wouldn't take that as an answer. "Carly, what happened? We have never hid anything from one another and now you've completely shut me out. I've been dealing with Jeremiah's death for the last few days and you were nowhere to be found. Alex got herself stuck in VR so she wouldn't have to feel the pain. Where were you to not be there for me or even Alex?"

"Kara, I'm sorry. I didn't know…"

"Yeah because you weren't here!" Kara yelled. "You vanish for hours at a time. I have had to save countless lives this week on my own because we couldn't find you. I know something is clearly wrong. I catch you crying and avoiding me. So please, explain what is going on. Talk to me!"

"I can't!" I yelled, causing Kara to jump. "I can't..."

Kara moved closer to me. "When Deirdre was here this morning, I asked her why you were acting this way. She wouldn't tell me what was wrong, but she told me you weren't okay. That you were protecting me and that telling me would cause you pain. She told me to leave it alone, but I want to help you."

"You can't help me. There is no helping me!" I yelled, running my hands through my hair. "I am trying my best to make the best of the crap I am stuck in and I want to tell you, but I can't. If I do, things could go horribly wrong."

Kara grabbed my hands. "Carly, what happened? I'm not mad that you have been avoiding me or not being there to help me with grief. I'm mad because you are clearly in pain and won't talk to me about it. Just let me in, please."

At that moment I realized I had to leave. Staying here meant lying to Kara again and again. If Lena could solve this then I would be able to tell Kara with no worries. I wanted to tell her everything because I hated lying to her this way, but if I told her it could kill me. Which would cause her more pain then my lies did.

"I wish I could tell you, but I can't. If I do, bad things could happen. Just know I never wanted any of this." I sighed, squeezing my eyes shut. "I'm sorry, but I think it's best if I go."

I began for the door when Kara grabbed my wrist. "Don't leave. Just let me help you."

I looked back at her. "I love you, Kara. Forever and Always."

I grabbed her face and brought her lips to mine. When I kissed her I left that wave feeling I had felt when I took the anger from the prisoner. This anger wasn't as toxic as his was. I felt Kara loosen under my kiss and when I pulled back she looked happier, but confused. "What was that?"

I placed my hand on her cheek. "I took your anger. When this is all over, I hope you can forgive me."

I left the apartment, taking none of my belongings with me. Kara stood there shell shocked, a hand slowly raising to her lips.


	26. Becoming the Monster I Fear

I left Kara's apartment feeling angry enough to break something. I decided I would head back to my apartment as I had nowhere else to go. I got about halfway there when I sensed someone was tailing me. I stopped dead in my tracks to find a drunk man lumbering close behind.

He approached with rum fresh on his breath. "What are you doing out here all by your lonesome, Sweet Cheeks?"

The anger I had obtained from Kara combined with the residual anger I had from that prisoner, blinded my judgement. This anger turned into a burning thirst and I tried to stay in control. "Just walking home. I think I should get going."

I tried to continue walking, but the man, even in his drunken state, grabbed my arm and pinned me up against the wall. "Don't go so fast. Stay and have some fun with me."

My eyes locked onto the pulsing vein under his skin. He began drunkenly kissing at my neck, my face mere millimeters from his throat. Through the smell of rum, I could sense the sickly sweet smell of his blood pumping through his veins. My breathing became labored with my fangs painfully extending.

I grabbed the edges of his sweatshirt, twisting him around so his back was against the wall. I pinned his arms up beside his head. He was a little spooked at the speed, but his drunk smile returned quite quickly. "You're fast for a little thing."

I looked down at my feet biting my tongue so hard it began to bleed."Oh, you have no idea."

I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to regulate my breathing, but the smell was too much. I moved my face into the crook of his head, my breath causing him to shiver. I gritted my teeth, but I couldn't hold back any longer. I opened my mouth wide and sunk my fangs deep into his flesh. He gasped at first and then as always he began to moan.

I could taste the rum in his blood like a spicy kick to his already sweet nectar. I got lost in the rush. I could sense his heartbeat getting slower and slower with every sip, but in that moment I didn't care. I never wanted to admit it to myself or anyone else, but feeding on a human was the best feeling in the world, like a fireworks show on the 4th of July. In the midst of feeding, I heard a familiar voice. "Carly, stop! You're going to kill him!"

I lifted my mouth and the man fell onto the ground. He was weak, but alive. I looked toward the end of the alley to find Lena standing there. I tried to stay calm as I crouched down beside the man, staring deep into his eyes. Since he was weak, it was like a walk in the park.

I swam in the colors of his eyes as I spoke my command. "You will remember none of this. You were walking around and fell asleep. You will sleep until morning and put a bandaid on your neck because you have two bad mosquito bites."

He repeated me perfectly as his eyes closed and snoring ensued. I stepped away from him and wobbled. The world spun and I was dizzy. Wait, I'm drunk. I didn't know I could do that. Drunk blood must be the key. I licked my lips as Lena approached.

"Whaattt...are you...doing he...re...Lena?" I asked with slurred speech.

She walked into the light of the streetlamp, stepping over the sleeping man. She scanned my face and demeanor with shock. "Are you drunk?"

"Yeah, I th...ink I ammmm." I said, a dumb smile plastered on my face. "I guess dr...r...inking bl...ood from a drunk per...son does that. Why are...you here?"

"I saw you leave Kara's and I followed after you. I decided we should do the blood test tonight so Lex has less suspicion. What happened? I thought you were afraid to hurt people. Not…" Lena looked from me to the man and back again. "Into drinking random drunk homeless people."

I put my hands on my hips. "I took ang...ger from Kar...ah and it turned in...to hunger. I tried to stop, but I just could...n't."

"Do you want me to take you back to Kara?" Lena asked, pulling one of my arms over her shoulders.

"No no no. We got in a f...f...fight. Let's do this blood test...thingy...at your house." Then I thought about it for a moment. "Wait, do you have a hou...se?"

"Yes, I have a house." Lena noticed the look on my face. "Did you think I lived at L Corp?"

I drunkenly nodded. "Yessssss I never see y...you anywhere else."

Lena rolled her eyes and carried me to her car. She set me inside and got in the driver's. Within 20 minutes we had arrived. It was a mansion on the hill with no neighbors for miles. It was three stories tall with almost all glass walls, it looked like something out of a movie. She pulled into her four car garage and closed the door behind us.

I unbuckled myself and got out of the car, almost falling on the floor just as Lena caught me. She helped me into her living room, which was massive. A giant marble fireplace, a plasma television, a bar, and a grand piano. Reminded me of the Cullen house from Twilight.

She set me on the couch and grabbed her supplies from the other room. When Lena returned she sat on the coffee table in front of me. I pulled myself into a sitting position. "Wo...n't the r...r...rum ruin your t...test."

"No it is quite easy to separate alcohol from blood. Besides, you being drunk will help with the next part." Lena said, turning to open her box of supplies.

I raised a brow. "What p...p...part?"

Lena jabbed the needle into my wrist with no warning. I jumped at the sudden prick, but I wasn't afraid as I normally would have been. She took the blood and closed her case. "I will test it tomorrow night when I find time to analyze it. If I can figure out the components of the controllant, I might be able to make a antidote."

The room spun again. "How l...l...long will this al...co...hol last for?"

Lena looked at her watch. "Your metabolism will break it down. Right about now."

Suddenly the dizzy feeling vanished. I felt lighter and everything returned to its normal brightness. I could think clearly and understand what was going. So I asked, "Why are you suddenly being so nice to me?"

She sighed. "I want Non Nocere to work and I understand that to everyone else I'm evil, but if you looked from where I was coming from it isn't that bad of a plan. I want to save people, not hurt them. What I did to you when I was testing my original contacts was wrong. I was blinded with my hurt from Kara. I didn't realize how much damage I was causing. I want to make amends and try to free you from Lex, it's the least I can do."

"Lena…" I said, grabbing her hand before she could get up from the coffee table. "I forgive you for all of that." She looked surprised so I continued to explain. "I used to be so angry that you would do something like that to me, but then Crisis happened. I lost almost everyone I ever cared about and it broke me. I know what betrayal and pain can do to a person, so I get it. Your pain blinded your judgement, but you can see more clearly now."

"Carly, I'm not changing my mind about Non Nocere."

"I'm not telling you to." I said with a sigh. "All I'm saying is step back and look at the big picture. You understand being betrayed and lied to, but look at the reasons as to why Kara did what she did. I know you may never forgive her or any of us for lying to you for so long, but just understand she never wanted to hurt you. That was never Kara's intention."

"Maybe…" Lena began, quickly switching the subject. "What about you and Kara? You said you got in a fight with her and took her anger?"

I nodded. "Yeah. I came back to the apartment and she suspected something was wrong. I couldn't tell her without collapsing in pain so I told her I couldn't say. She wouldn't leave it alone so I knew I couldn't stay there. I gave her a kiss, accidently absorbing her anger in the process. Then I left, heading back to my apartment when that drunk man got too close."

"If I fix this." Lena squeezed my hand. "When I fix this. You can tell her everything. She'll understand."

"I don't know if she will." I said, sadly looking down at my feet. "If she discovers I've been working for Lex, took a prisoner from jail, killed someone, and then almost killed another, I don't know how she'll react."

"It was against your will, Carly." Lena said

I bit my lip. "I know, but that doesn't change the fact it was my hands that did the deed. If I had fought harder against his control then maybe…"

"Maybe what?" Lena exclaimed. "You would have writhed in agony or worse died? You had to follow his orders or it'd end in tragedy. Why don't you go upstairs and get some rest? You can stay here until this whole thing blows over. We can head over to the warehouse tomorrow morning together."

"Thank you, Lena."

Lena pointed me to the stairs as I searched for one of the spare bedrooms. She began to clean up when she saw I left my phone on the couch. Making sure I was out of sight, Lena looked through my contacts to find Deirdre as one of the first names. She pressed talk and Deirdre answered after one ring. "Deirdre, this is Lena Luthor. There's something I have to tell you…"

* * *

Kara left her apartment and headed straight to The Tower. She had been crying for hours with no understanding of what was going on. After our kiss all the anger from her vanished. She felt more at peace, but now sorrow was replacing the anger. She arrived at The Tower to find Alex and J'onn inside.

When they saw her puffy eyes, worry consumed their features. They approached with Alex giving her a tight hug and J'onn patting her shoulder. When Alex pulled back, the three collected around the table and there were questions.

Alex asked first. "What happened?"

"Carly…" Kara mumbled, a tear rolling down her cheek. "Something is wrong and she won't tell me what. She is avoiding me and vanishing for hours on end. Deirdre said it would hurt Carly for her to tell me, but I just want to help."

"Hurt Carly? What is Deirdre talking about?" J'onn asked

Kara shook her head. "I don't know. She said I should trust Carly, but I know something is wrong. I've caught her crying and avoiding my touch. It started the day she moved in. Something must have happened between me leaving that night and then returning the next morning. She said she had a panic attack, but there's definitely more to it."

"Maybe, you should listen to Deirdre." Alex suggested with a shrug. "If Carly is in a bad situation, it's probably safer for you not to know. She loves you and if hiding this from you protects you, then I completely get it. Just give her time and she'll tell you."

"I don't think she will tell me. I tried to ask her what was wrong and she said she couldn't say. That it was dangerous to say." Kara ran a hand through her hair. "She has never hid anything from me before. What happened that she couldn't tell me about it? None of it makes any sense. And that kiss…"

Kara raised a hand to her lips, remembering the feeling the kiss gave her. J'onn raised a brow. "What about the kiss?"

"Carly kissed me and it felt like she was draining the anger from me, absorbing it somehow." Kara looked toward the others with wide eyes. "She said she took my anger."

"How is that possible?" Alex asked herself aloud.

"Some vamtronians have special abilities." J'onn said, remembering his past encounters. "In my many years I have come across these special vamtronians. Some can teleport, read minds, move objects telepathically, and Carly, well, she can absorb emotion. If you're angry she can take it into herself. Same with happiness, fear, sadness, and pain. Some can even give these feeling to others with enough practice."

"How did she discover this ability?" Kara and Alex asked at the same moment.

J'onn shrugged. "I'm not sure, but I'm betting it has to do with whatever business she's involved in. Someone helped her discover this ability, yet this sort of thing only comes to the surface in full vamtronians, never halfs. So if Carly has this power…"

"She became a full vamtronian…" Kara muttered

Alex looked from Kara to J'onn with realization. "Does that mean she killed someone?"

J'onn nodded and turned his attention to Kara. "Have you noticed severe changes in Carly aside from how she has been acting?"

"Actually yeah…" Kara thought about it for a moment. "She looked a whole lot paler, her eyes sunken, and her skin was like cold stone. The other day I even caught sight of her hand in the sun for only a moment, but no smoke rose off her skin."

"Then she must have transitioned, but why?" Alex asked the group. "Carly, never wanted this. Would she really kill someone?"

Kara shook her head. "Not of her own free will she wouldn't."

"That's because it wasn't of her own free will." The group looked over to see Deirdre and Cillian standing in the doorway. Deirdre approached. "I told Carly I would keep this secret, but I think you guys should know the truth."

"Why are you suddenly interested in telling us now?" Kara asked with crossed arms.

Deirdre sighed. Before she could speak, Cillian jumped in. "Deirdre was going to leave it alone and allow Carly to handle it on her own, but she got a call from Lena Luthor this morning."

"Lena, called you?" Alex exclaimed

"Yes, she did." Deirdre bit her lip. "Lena called me using Carly's phone. She told me that last night Carly almost killed a drunk person on her way back to her apartment. Carly is being overwhelmed by all the lies and new feelings. She didn't want me to tell you because of how it could hurt you, but I think it's time."

J'onn stepped forward. "Hasn't she already killed someone, if she has these powers of absorbing emotion?"

"Yes, but that was against her will." Deirdre said, holding up a DVD. "I have a friend who has been keeping tabs on Carly for the last few days. He saw her go into a certain warehouse and so he hacked security cameras, scanning for weird things in the last week. The night you asked her to move in has the reason why she has been acting this way. Do you want to see?"

Kara decided. "Play it."

"Are you sure?" Deirdre asked with concern. "I have not seen what is on the DVD, but Carly told me of what happened that night. My friend who copied the disk also said it's not for the faint of heart. Are you sure guys want to watch this?"

"We have to." Alex spoke for the group. "If we are to help Carly, we need to know what happened."

"Put it in."

* * *

The next morning, Lena drove me to the warehouse. I could've flown, but I just wasn't in the mood. Everything that happened last night came to the surface and I hated myself right now. I hurt Kara and almost killed some drunk man. He wasn't an angel, but that doesn't change the fact that if Lena wasn't there, I could have killed him. I was becoming the monster I feared.

We arrived at Lex's office, who smiled at our entrance. "Look, who's buddied up. Should I be worried?"

"No." Lena said, taking a seat at the table. "I just drove Carly here because she stayed at my place last night. She had attacked a drunk man on the street and could barely walk."

"What an interesting turn of events." Lex commented as I took a seat across from him. "Did you kill the man?"

"No, but if Lena hadn't showed up when she had I might've." I admitted

I looked down at my feet with self hatred. I didn't want to be a killer and here I was attacking drunk homeless people. I could've just pushed the man away and flown off, but the hunger took control of me. I couldn't control myself and I hated that feeling.

Lex smiled at my pain, but changed the subject nonetheless. "I have your next mission ready to go. I know it's only been a day, but this can't wait. I have gotten some info on the whereabouts of some Leviathan agents planning something big."

I leaned forward with crossed arms. "What do you want me to do about it?"

"I want you to sneak in and get more information about what they are planning to do. It's only lower level agents so you shouldn't have any problems with the bosses. I'm giving you an Image Inducer to hide your appearance with a voice modulator for double measure. Get in, discover their plans, and get out. We can't take action until we know everything and I can't let them know what I plan to do until I know what's going on."

"Lex, shouldn't we wait." Lena objected. "Her friends suspect something is up and if she vanishes for another day or two, they will know something is wrong. Carly has already been vanishing for hours on end and they won't let that slide much longer."

"Let them suspect. They won't find any of us for a long time anyway."

"What is that supposed to mean?" I asked

Lex smiled. "We're going underground, sort of speak. Our cameras were hacked early this morning, which means they'll know what happened to you. If we stay here they will catch us before Leviathan can be taken down, so Brainy is finding a better suited location that will mask us from the others. We'll be long gone before they even take a step."


	27. Finding Out The Truth

Deirdre went over to The Tower's main computer and slid the disk inside the DVD player. Once entered, Deirdre's hand hovered over the play button. She looked toward the group. "Are you guys sure?"

Just then the elevator dinged and Nia stepped out. Alex had called her a few minutes prior and asked her to come right away. She came to stand between Kara and Alex. Alex smiled and looked from Nia to Deirdre. "We're as ready as we'll ever be."

"My friend downloaded two different security tape footages from the warehouse and Carly's apartment building after Kara left that night." Deirdre said, looking at the group. "This is what he found."

It started out as a blue screen which transformed into a security camera's footage. Luckily, these cameras had audio, if you count that as lucky. The first thing they see is me on my roof, smiling. I was looking off the balcony and a figure came up from behind. He placed a hand over my mouth and held me against him.

The group only saw his back, but what I said next scared them. "How are you alive, Remus?"

Kara paused the video and eyed down Cillian. "I thought you killed him."

"I did." Cillian reassured the group. "He was dead when we escaped a few months ago. There is no way he should be walking around. I promise, I staked him myself."

J'onn shook his head. "My guess is another consequence to this new universe."

Deirdre chipped in. "My father may have kidnapped Carly, but he's not the mastermind." She shook her head. "He wanted to hurt Carly while I watched. This time he never even came to find me, which is telling me he wasn't doing this for himself, but for another. He was collecting Carly for someone else."

The group nodded and Deirdre continued the video, forwarding it to the more important part. She pushed play and I was struggling against Remus. "Do you really still want to hurt Deirdre? Is that what this is? Kill me so she feels my pain?"

"No, not this time." Remus said with annoyance. "Originally, that was the idea, but then I made a new friend. He's going to help us vamtronians get back on our feet after you and your friends messed with everything. He wants you and I don't really care what he does with you after that."

The group looked at one another knowing what name Remus would spout. Sadly, he affirmed their fears. "Lex, made a hell of a bargain and I just can't refuse. Besides, I'll be leaving you with a gift. Deirdre will sense what is about to happen and then she'll go running to your friends. My last gift to you before me and my people leave town for good."

I scoffed. "So how are you going to send a message to Deirdre? Break my arm? Stab me? Maybe, tear something off?"

"No, I was thinking something a little more personal." Remus whispered in my ear. "Don't worry, I'm not supposed to kill you."

He tilted my head back and sunk his fangs into the side of my throat. I screamed a hollow pain-filled scream, causing Kara to cringe. She was angry already and she hadn't even seen the worst part yet. Nia noticed Kara's anger and tried to distract with a question she had.

"I thought vamtronian bites were supposed to be pleasurable. Like better than sex?" The group looked at Nia with scrunched faces and she shrugged. "What?! That's just what I heard."

Deirdre cleared her throat. "Yes, usually that's how it is. Our bite gives pleasure to the victim so when they die, they die without suffering, but as you saw with Carly some vamtronians have special gifts. My father can inflict pain to others with just a touch. Carly can take pain and my father can give it. He can choose to make it pleasurable or painful, for Carly he chose pain."

Alex crossed her arms. "What did your friend get off the warehouse footage?"

"He got the day after she was kidnapped and the first look of her powers. I'll show you the powers one first as the other is quite graphic." Deirdre explained

She went onto the disk and forwarded to the training footage. The video loaded up of me fighting a prisoner. The man grabbed at my throat and slammed my back into one of the glass walls, shattering it. We fell through the hole with him pinning me to the floor.

His hands wrapped around my throat and he tried to strangle me, since I didn't need to breathe, it had no effect. I grabbed both his hands and pryed them from my neck, headbutting him. I got to my feet as he slowly did the same. He lunged at me, causing me to throw him across the room. I kept yelling for him to stop, but he wouldn't.

He lunged at me for a third time and this was my last shot to put some sense into him. He grabbed at my shoulders and my hands were on his. I pleaded. "Calm down!"

The group watched as the man's body loosened and my body tensed up. They looked at one another with surprise as Lena asked the question they all wanted the answer to. "What did you just do?"

The man let go of my shoulders with a peaceful smile on his face. I looked from him to Lena. "I...I...don't know. I just touched him and pleaded for him to calm down. Then he did."

Deirdre paused the video again. Alex asked the obvious question. "Why was she fighting a prisoner?"

"My friend said that Lex had Carly retrieve him from the local prison to be a part of the human trials for Lena's new set of contacts. The plan backfired and caused him to become very violent. Carly tried to compel him to calm down, but it didn't work. So they fought and she accidently took his anger." Deirdre explained

J'onn knew the answer, but wanted confirmation. "Are there any other powers she gained from all of this?"

Deirdre nodded. "The sun no longer burns her, she can fly, and she can compel others, kind of like mind control. Some minds are harder to crack while others she can just slide in. Carly could force them to do something or cause them to forget entire memories."

"Can we see the moment she was transformed?" Everyone turned to look at Kara. Her mouth was a thin line, but she knew she had to watch it. "I want to know what Lex did to her. She is so ashamed of it that she runs. I want to know so when I find her I can understand her situation. Show me."

Deirdre looked at the rest of the group for confirmation. When they all agreed she pushed play. The first thing they see is me being held by Lex's goons while Lex was holding a crying girl, the group watched in silence.

"You remember how a half vamtronian becomes whole, Carly?" Lex asked, moving hair from the girl's neck. "You have to kill. Life for a life. You kill her and your human side dies too."

I shook my head. "I won't kill her."

Lena stepped between us. "Lex, you never told me you were going to do this. You said you were taking her and injecting your refined serum of my work into her. That was bad enough, but this...you're going to force Carly to transition into something she never wanted, while killing an innocent girl. I might be cruel, but this is going too far."

No one in the room was surprised Lena was there. Kara had really hoped she would have listened to her about Lex. She knew Lena hated her, but Lena also knew what Lex was capable of. Lena was slowly becoming the bad guy she was trying to stop.

"Sometimes to win you have to do bad things." He said as a goon grabbed Lena's arms. "Isn't that something you said once, sis?"

Lena shook her head. "I didn't mean this. I never meant this."

Lex turned his attention back to the girl and I. He pulled out a knife and quickly cut the side of the girl's throat. Not enough to kill her, but she was bleeding quite a bit. I saw the blood and gritted my teeth. Kara and the others winced at this, knowing holding back was causing me great pain.

Lex smiled. "Daniele Lanzarotta once said bloodlust was a disease that makes us the monsters we are known to be; it is what wipes away the last of our humanity. Let's test that theory."

The goon holding the girl brought her forward and pushed her onto her knees. The goon holding my arms did the same thing to me. I exhaled a breath and sunk my fangs into the girl's neck. My razor sharp teeth sliced through the girl's skin without resistance, penetrating deep into the flesh of her throat. The girl grasped the back of my sweater, moaning quite loudly.

Alex cringed back as I latched onto the wound with my entire mouth, greedily sucking upon it like a ravenous beast. J'onn, Nia, Kara, Alex, Deirdre, and even Cillian had eyes filled with tears. They all knew this was my worst nightmare coming true. I never wanted to be a full vamtronian and now it was happening against my will.

Kara began to silently sob as she noticed how badly I was crying as well. She wanted to come rescue me, but there was nothing she could do but watch. I drank and drank until the girl's arms fell to the side. I dropped the girl on her back, her blood dripping down my chin. That's when pain erupted throughout my body.

When the pain ceased I slowly sat up. I sat there for a moment before opening my eyes. When I did, it revealed my now blood red eyes. Kara gasped aloud when she saw four fangs instead of two. Kara was getting angry and she wanted to break something or someone in half, preferably.

I tried to lunge at Lex, but his goons grabbed me. I threw one across the room and knocked the others on their ass. I walked toward Lex again when the door opened. I looked over and was shocked to see who was standing there.

The entire group looked at one another with wide eyes. Some with shock, others with pain, and others still with anger. Nia gasped aloud. "Brainy…"

The goons grabbed hold of me once again and this time I didn't fight. Brainy came to stand beside Lex as he handed the syringe to him. "You may do the honors."

Brainy took the syringe in his hand and approached me. His eyes met mine and he could see how much this hurt me. "Brainy, how could you?"

"It's the only way to save the future. I'm sorry, Carly."

The screen returned to blue just as Brainy injected the serum into me. The group was in tears, both for the fact Carly had to go through that and that Brainy was working with Lex. How could he work with a murderer? How could he do such a thing to Carly?

J'onn tried to stay level-headed. "What did he inject into Carly?"

"It's a more potent liquid form of Lena's contacts. When he gives an order Carly must follow through with it or…" Deirdre swallowed the spit in her throat. "It will cause her immense pain. If she continues to resist, it could kill her. That is why she couldn't tell any of you because she would be on the floor screaming."

"How come she could tell you?" Nia asked

Deirdre shrugged. "A loophole, I guess. He specified Super Friends and I am not one of them. She told me to keep her secret until she could figure out a way to remove his control over her."

"Why doesn't she just kill him?" Alex asked, honestly

"Because it could kill her." Cillian chimed in. "Lex set up a killfire switch. If he dies, Carly's brain is flooded with ashwood particles so small that by the time they could all be removed she would be dead."

Kara was holding her phone in one hand and crushed it into a bicycle handlebar shape. Her anger boiled over and she snapped. She looked over at Deirdre with fire in her eyes. She appeared in front of Deirdre, wrapping her hand around her throat, and lifting her into the air.

Kara was mad. "Why didn't you stop Remus that night? Why didn't you tell us sooner? I could have stopped her from almost killing that drunk man or better yet figured out why in the hell Brainy is working with Lex! Why didn't you tell us?"

"The night my father took Carly, Lex had drugged me. If I was awake I would have felt her pain." Deirdre pleaded. "And I didn't tell you because Carly promised me not to. She didn't want you to blame yourself for what happened. I promise."

Kara was filled with anger, but she knew deep down she wasn't truly angry at Deirdre. She was mad at Remus, she was mad at Lex, and she was mad at herself. If she had just stayed a little longer, Remus wouldn't have taken me to Lex. Kara's grip tightened around Deirdre's throat.

Cillian appeared beside them, placing his hands on Kara's. He was prepared to pull her off when he looked into Deirdre's eyes. She shook her head and he removed his hands. "Kara, listen to me. The first thing I wanted to do was tell you guys about what happened, but Carly didn't want to worry you. She didn't want you to see her as a monster."

Kara didn't loosen her grip so Alex stepped forward. "Kara, I think she's telling the truth."

Kara gritted her teeth and slowly set Deirdre back on her feet. She wiped her eyes and went onto the balcony for some fresh air. Alex was about to follow, but J'onn held her back. Instead Deirdre followed after Kara. When Kara saw her, she frowned.

"Look, I know you have never liked me…" Deirdre began

Kara interrupted. "Maybe, I don't like you because you almost killed Carly and then turned her. Plus she got kidnapped by Lena originally due to you and then given to your father where she almost died again because of you."

Deirdre sighed. "Kara, I've caused a lot of pain and I'm so sorry. I never wanted to condemn Carly to this life, but I lost control. I let my anger get the best of me and look what happened. I've caused Carly a tremendous amount of suffering and yet she forgave me somehow. I know you will never truly trust me, but Carly left this for you."

Deirdre reached into her bag and pulled out an envelope with Kara written in big letters on the front. She handed the envelope to Kara and Kara was confused. "What's this?"

"Carly met me downtown this morning and gave me this. She told me to give this to you when I finally told you everything. I think you should read it and maybe, you'll understand why Carly did what she did." Deirdre explained

She nodded and went back into the main room with the others. Kara stood there staring at the envelope for what felt like hours. The note stared back at her and she was terrified. She took a deep breath and ripped it open. This is what it read:

Kara,

If you're getting this then that means Deirdre told you everything. I just want you to know that this is not your fault. Lex was going to try and take me eventually. I'm a full vamtronian now, which comes with a whole bunch of new problems. I cannot go against Lex or I could die. I have to stay away because if he orders me to kill you, I don't know what I'll do. I have this ability where I can take others emotions into myself, which is crazy and scary all at the same time.

I almost killed a drunk man this morning and I actually got drunk, which I didn't know was possible, but that isn't the point. I'm doing things that scare me, Kara. I killed an innocent girl named Sara, took a prisoner from a prison to be experimented on, and now I've almost killed another. I don't want to be a monster, but I think these urges and Lex's control are slowly turning me into one.

I've been talking with Lena and she's going to try to find an antidote. If...when she finds one...I will come home to you...if you still want me there. I know I've been distant, but I couldn't tell you and it was tearing me apart. Just know I never wanted any of this to happen. I love you Kara, forever and always.

From,

Carly

Kara looked down at the note as splotches of water appeared on the page. She felt a hand on her shoulder to find Alex standing there. Kara lost all composure and dug her face into Alex's shoulder, Alex wrapping her arms around her. "It's going to be okay, Kara. We'll get her back, kick Brainy's ass, and defeat Lex. We can do this."


	28. Removing Her From The Picture

My mission was simple. I just had to disguise myself, get the information, and quickly get out. Brainy offered to accompany me, but I didn't want to be any closer to him then I had to be. He was so obsessed with saving the future that he was ruining everything in the present. He was hurting his friends in ways that might never be fixed.

The meeting was in a warehouse across town. So I flew around back and put on my disguise with a voice modulator. I was disguised as Henry Jeffries, so hopefully no one would suspect who was really under the disguise. I made my way in with ease and listened around. I couldn't look suspicious, but I needed answers.

I got talking with one gentleman who mentioned a virus that would be implemented in Obsidian Tech. While I walked around I got more details. This virus, when activated, would lock the person in the headset. They could do whatever they wanted, but time would pass very slowly there. So a day in there could be a week out here.

This would make them docile and out of the way. If any tried to leave a burst of electricity would go through the headset and kill them. Weeding out the humans who waste their lives with fake worlds.

Obsidian's updated products would be released late next week and the virus would already be in the code. Once I got what I needed, I hid around back and turned the image inducer off. This is when I called Lex. "Did you get what I needed, Carly?"

"Yes, I did." I looked around to make sure no one was listening. "They're planning to implement a virus onto Andrea's contacts to trap people inside. If they try to escape, it will kill them. Leviathan plan to have this in the code of Obsidian's newest batch on Friday next week."

"Excellent. Now get out of there before someone catches you."

The line went dead as I shoved my phone in my pocket. I jumped over the fence and began toward Lex's warehouse. As I was preparing to fly, someone slammed something metal into the back of my head. I stood frozen for a second before I went unconscious from the blow.

* * *

Kara and Alex lingered on the balcony. Kara was so distraught she didn't think she could breathe let alone move her limbs. Alex placed her hand on Kara's. "There's nothing you could have done, Kara."

"I was with Carly a mere hour before she was taken to Lex, Alex. I should've just taken her home with me. If I hadn't left, maybe Remus wouldn't have gotten her. Or if he tried, I would have been there to save her." Kara mumbled

Alex stated the truth. "Kara, you can't always be there to save the day. Sometimes bad things happen and we just have to move on with that. Just focus on finding her, don't feel guilty for not being there because I know I wouldn't want you to feel that way if I were Carly."

"It's just so screwed up that all this bad crap keeps happening to her." Kara whined. "I almost lost her three times since October. She has been through so much pain, I'm surprised Carly can get out of bed in the morning."

"Carly, gets out of bed for you." Alex said, Kara looking toward her. "She loves you and fights to stay strong so she can see you smile. You are everything to her and she will never blame any of this on you. We'll find her and you two will be reunited, I promise."

"I hope you're right..." Kara's phone buzzed with a new message. She wiped her eyes and double tapped the notification. She almost dropped the phone when she saw who it was from.

Alex noticed this sudden reaction and became even more worried. "What is it?"

"I just got a message from…" Kara looked from the phone to Alex. "Carly…"

Alex perked up. "What does it say?"

"Um, it says…" Kara began to read the message, "I managed to get my phone from Lex. He says it's too dangerous to leave and that we're going underground for god knows how long. I'm planning to make a run for it within the next half hour. Meet me at our special spot in the park. I love you, Kara."

Before Alex could say anything, Kara was across town. Alex could sense something was off with the message, but Kara was so desperate that she didn't really pay attention to the little slip of speech. Whenever Kara and I say I love you, it was always followed by forever and always. Now I could have just forgotten, but Alex knew better than that.

She came back into the room with a plan. "Nia, I need you to follow Kara. She's meeting "Carly" at the fountain in Lane's Park. I need you to follow her and make sure nothing fishy happens."

Deirdre raised a brow. "Why did you say Carly with quotations?"

"Kara got a text from Carly to meet, but I don't think it was Carly who wrote it. It sounded off and most of the time, my gut feelings are right. Just humor me. Please." Alex insisted

"Well, how am I supposed to get over there?" Nia asked with a shrug. "I can't fly."

"I'll take you over. Backup is always a good thing to have." J'onn agreed

J'onn picked Nia up and two followed Kara. The others got to work pinpointing Lex's location. They knew the warehouse shown in the video was long empty by now, so they had to be fast. If Lex went into hiding, they might not be able to find him in time.

* * *

I woke up to find myself strapped to a chair and with no surprise Gamemnae was leaning against the desk in front of me. When she noticed I was awake she approached with a smug smile. "I see Sleeping Beauty is finally awake."

I smugly smiled back. "Sleeping Beauty would have woken up faster if one of your goons didn't slam that folding chair into her head."

"You're a sassy little thing." She looked me up and down with approval. "I like that."

This is when I decided to tell on Lex because maybe Gamemnae could help me escape. "Look, I was sent here by Lex to investigate what you lot were up to. He doesn't trust you worth a damn and if you untie me I can help you get back at him."

She laughed aloud. "Oh dear child, you're so clueless. Lex sent you here so I could catch you. Keep you bound."

Then I really thought about it and I wanted to kick myself in the butt. It was clear as day this was a setup and I just walked right in. "Well, why did he want me captured? I was doing everything he asked."

"He thought you were going to get in the way." She walked around me and placed her hands on my shoulders, leaning in close to whisper in my ear. "When he kills Supergirl."

If my heart beat, it would have stopped dead in his tracks. "What do you mean kill Supergirl?"

"I mean he wants to remove her from the picture." She smiled. "Now that we're partners, Supergirl's in the way. We can't have her messing with our business."

I am such an idiot. I knew he was a dastardly man, but I thought maybe, just maybe, he would do one good thing in his life by getting rid of Leviathan. Now he was trying once again to kill a kryptonian.

"He's tried countless times to kill Kara. What makes you think he'll succeed this time?" I asked with fake confidence.

"Because the Kryptonian loves someone." Gamemnae maneuvered around the chair and placed her hands on the chair arms, leaning down to look me in the face. "She loves you. Which means she would trust you. She would let herself be alone with you."

"Lex wouldn't."

"He would and…" She pushed a button on the remote beside her. "He wants you to watch."

Gamemnae laughed aloud as she left me to watch the video on my own. The screen showed a first person view from Lex's shoulder. I could tell by the arms he was using an image inducer to pretend he was me. A voice modulator was added to the device to make his voice sound like me as well.

He was making his way to the fountain in the middle of this park across town. It was Kara and I's favorite spot. He arrived first and took a seat on the edge of the fountain. Kara appeared two minutes later and when she saw me she burst into tears.

I looked around the room for anything I could use to warn her, when I found my cellphone on the desk 10ft from my chair. I tried to use my heightened strength to snap the chains, but whatever they did to them made it impossible. I weebled and I wobbled until I fell on the floor.

When I hit the floor, one of the chair arms snapped off. I got my hand loose and untied myself from the chair. I quickly grabbed the phone and looked up to see Kara and I (Lex) hugging. I dialed Kara's number and hoped to God she brought her phone with her.

Kara hugged Lex tight against her. "Oh my god, are you alright? I should've been there for you. I should've noticed your pain sooner, I'm so sorry. You should never have had to go through that."

Lex used the acting experience he had attained over the years to pretend that he cared. "It's not your fault, Kara. Lex would have gotten me eventually. I don't blame you so please don't blame yourself."

Suddenly, Kara's phone began to buzz. She pulled back from the hug and quickly pressed talk. "Hello?"

"That's not me. Lex is using an image inducer, Kara. He's planning to kill you. Get out of there. Now!" I heard the door unlock to find Gamemnae coming toward me. "Kara, please get out of there."

Gamemnae grabbed the phone from my hands and crushed it in hers. "That was really stupid, Vamtronian."

I then decided I had to fight my way out. So I tried to throw a punch at Gamemnae, but she just caught it mid air and began twisting my hand the wrong direction. I gasped and fell to my knees. "You may be strong, but I have been around a whole lot longer, Vampy. You have no chance of escape, so sit back and watch the show.

She grabbed my arm and pulled me to my feet, putting me a chokehold so I had to watch what happened next. Kara looked from the phone toward Lex and noticed the buzzing from the image inducer. Her eyes went wide as my face (Lex) went sadistic. "Looks like Carly escaped her bonds. Silly girl just made everything so much harder than it had to be."

"Lex, take off that stupid disguise." Kara said with her anger building.

Lex obliged and the image of me was replaced by Lex himself. He smugly smiled toward Kara. "Nice to see you again, Supergirl."

"Lex haven't we done this before?" Kara asked. "You've tried to kill me more times than I can count and you've failed each and every time. What makes you think you'll succeed this time around?"

"Simply put...I'm not alone."

A shadowed figure appeared behind Kara and pulled out a blade of pure kryptonite. Before she could react, the blade was embedded in her back. I struggled against Gamemnae as Kara screamed. The shadowed figure broke the handle off so the blade was stuck in her back.

Her veins started to glow a neon green as she collapsed onto her knees. Lex approached and kneeled beside her. "The blade is pure kryptonite and is slowly poisoning you as we speak. Once the blade is removed the damage will cause you to be so weak you'll die. The only cure would be a super dose of yellow sun radiation which would be impossible on this planet."

She looked up at him with a pained expression. "Killing me is not going to solve anything, Lex. Someone will just take my place and stop you."

"Well, I'll come to that bridge when I get to it. For now, I'm content with killing you." Lex got to his feet and pushed Kara onto her back.

I stopped struggling against Gamemnae as I began to sob. J'onn and Nia appeared at that very moment. Nia saw the pain Kara was in and her anger boiled over. She shot a beam of power at the shadowed figure. She fell on her back and when she sat up her hood had fallen off.

Nia's hands fell with shock, disappointment, and anger. "Lena, how could you…"

Lena quickly got to her feet. "I'm sorry, but I need to get liabilities out of my way. Even if that means killing Supergirl. It's the only way."

"No, Lena. It's not the only way." J'onn slowly shook his head. "You're a monster…"

Lena cringed at J'onn's words, but did not falter. Lex and Lena disappeared from the scene as I saw Nia and J'onn running to Kara's side. Then the screen went black.

I decided escape was my only option. I extended my fangs and bit into Gamemnae's arm that was around my neck. She gasped and her breathing became labored. She tried to push me off, but at some point the pleasure overwhelmed her. I took just enough to make her legs become wobbly.

I lifted my mouth, quickly broke out of her grasp, and pushed her to the floor. I walked over to one of the windows and shattered the glass with my elbow. I was halfway out the window when I felt a hand grab my leg and throw me back in. Before I could see who grabbed me I was knocked unconscious.


	29. We're Gonna Need Help

Lex entered the facility with Lena close behind. When they came into the room, I was hanging from my hands by thick metal chains. Gamemnae was wrapping her wrist in gauze as Lena looked shocked, but Lex spoke first. "What happened?"

Gamemnae approached with weak legs. "Carly escaped from her chair and got that last minute call to Kara. I tried to detain her, but she bit me. If it weren't for my quick healing Carly would have escaped, but she didn't anticipate how quick I could be."

Lena stepped in front of Lex and turned with crossed arms. "Hurting Kara was one thing, but you never mentioned holding Carly against her will and chaining her up like a damn deer!"

Lex looked at Lena like she was an idiot. "We went to kill Supergirl. Do you really think we could do that without Carly finding out and trying to stop us? She had to be moved off the board and I thought making her watch would just be fun entertainment."

"Carly is innocent." Lena grumbled. "Kara is a liar and deserves pain, but I have come to realize that Carly doesn't. I am still angry at her and the others for lying, but Carly has been through enough bad. She does not deserve to be treated this way.

"She'll be released once Kara is dead." Lex said. "If I let her walk around she will go to Kara and try to save her. If the virus implanted in Andrea's tech works then we can have whatever we like, but I cannot have Supergirl ruining this. Especially since we are so close to having your contacts done as well. Once yours are complete we can upload the program to the knocked out participants and when they awake no more bad guys."

Lena was not happy about the situation, but she wanted Non Nocere to work. After all she sacrificed she deserved that much. Lena caved with a nod. "Fine, but once she's gone we let Carly free."

"Fine." Lex agreed as he turned his attention to Gamemnae. "Go get yourself back to full strength. I can't have Brainy seeing you. He still thinks I want to take you down and I need it to stay that way. For now...at least."

Gamemnae nodded before vanishing from the room. The second she vanished the door to the room opened with Brainy on the other side. He came in to speak with Lex when he saw I was chained up.

He became worried. "Why is Carly chained up?"

Lex smiled. "After returning from her mission she tried to escape with the information. I couldn't have the Super Friends interfering when we are so close to taking down Leviathan. It will only be until I figure out how to reign her back in."

"Okay, but what about this afternoon?" Brainy asked. "You and Lena were gone for over an hour. Where were you?"

Lena jumped in to make the lie more believable. "We were meeting with an informant. Lex sent an extra spy into the complex just in case Carly failed. Lex wanted to make sure what Carly had said was 100% fact. I came along as an insurance policy, that's all."

"Now Direct Dox, I need you to check on Carly when she awakes. If she needs blood give it to her, but do not let her down under any circumstances. If she escapes this will ruin everything we have worked for." Lex explained

Brainy silently agreed as Lex led Lena from the room. When the door was closed, Lena whispered to Lex. "Are you sure having Brainy be the babysitter is a good idea? What if she convinces him to let her down?"

Lex looked toward Brainy through the glass in the door. "Brainy, is so blinded by trying to save the future that I don't think anything will deter him. If she does convince him or figures out a way to get out herself, I have a backup plan."

Lex left the room and Lena followed after him just before looking in the room one last time. When they were gone I regained consciousness to find Brainy sitting in a chair across the room. I tried to move forward only to find I was hanging above the ground by my hands.

"Brainy, let me down." I struggled against the chains. "Brainy, you have let me down."

He crossed his arms with a frown. "I can't do that Carly. If I do, you'll tell the others of what you saw at Leviathan's base. You do that, we may squander our chance to take them down."

"Brainy, he's playing you!" I yelled. "He isn't planning to defeat Leviathan, he wants to partner with Leviathan. He's been lying to you from the start. When I went to the camp, it was a trap. Gamemnae was waiting for me and took me back here. They're partners, Brainy."

Brainy shook his head. "You're lying. Lex wants to save the future."

"Does he? Has he ever done anything to better the world? Think about it, Brainy." I begged. "I need you to let me down so I can go to Kara. Please, I need to see her."

"You can see Kara after we defeat Leviathan in a few days."

He started for the door when I screamed at the top of my lungs. "Brainy! If I don't get to her now, she may not make it a few days! Lena stabbed Kara with a kryptonite blade and she's dying. I think I know how to save her, but I can't if I'm locked up in here. Please...if you ever cared about me, you'll let me go."

"Lena and Lex said they were meeting with an informant this afternoon." Brainy stated

"Damn it, Brainy! They were lying to you. Please, just trust me. Just let me see Kara." I struggled harder against the chains. "Brainy, Kara could die. Do you want to take that chance?"

Brainy shook his head. "You're lying."

"Why would I lie about Kara dying? She is the love of my life and I would never joke about that. Now Brainy, please, let me go." I begged

For a second I thought I got to him, but he shook his head and began for the door again. I yelled after him, but this time he didn't stop. I tried to struggle out of the chains, but it was no use. My vision began to become blurry as I was racked with tears.

Brainy didn't want to believe me because if I was right then he truly was becoming the bad guy, but he couldn't shake the feeling I was telling the truth. He went into one of the backrooms that had no cameras in it. He hacked the security footage of Lex's shoulder camera that he always had on him in case things went haywire.

Brainy went to when Lex said he was meeting the informant to find everything I had just said was true. He gasped when Lena stabbed Kara in the back. Brainy dropped the tablet, cracking the screen. Tears flooded his eyes as he punched a dent in the wall. The door opened with Lena standing in the doorway.

Brainy's anger overwhelmed him as he grabbed her arms and pulled her into the room, pinning her to the wall. "You say you want to help people, but you do something like this to Kara. That is the most painful way a kryptonian can die and you didn't even hesitate. You're just like Lex."

"Brainy, I was angry. My final test is commencing tonight and I want to make sure no one gets in the way. I may hate Kara, but I won't be the one to kill her. So, I made this." She lifted a vial of grey liquid from her pocket and set it in Brainy's hand.

He looked down at it and then back at her. "What's this?"

"This is the antidote for Carly. She drinks this and she'll no longer be under Lex's control. I looped the cameras for the next hour. You need to get out, warn the others, and make a plan to rescue Carly by tomorrow. She's the only one who can save Kara." Lena explained

"You know Kara will stop you from releasing your contacts, right?"

Lena nodded. "I know, but I can't kill her. She used to be my friend and the least I can do is save her life. Now go before Lex notices you're gone. He plans to do something to Carly tomorrow night, but he won't tell me what. You need to get here before that happens, okay?"

Brainy shoved the vial in his pocket and gave Lena one last look before he vanished out the door. He knew none of them would forgive him for his mistakes, but he wasn't going to standby as one of his friends died. He just couldn't.

* * *

A banging sounded at the Tower's door. Alex pushed the button as J'onn and Nia came bombarding in. The others gathered around to see why J'onn and Nia looked so worried. Nia pushed everything from the table onto the floor so J'onn could lay Kara on the table.

The second Alex saw Kara she became worried. Kara was sweaty and pale. Bright green veins lit up across her body as her breathing was raspy. Alex was pissed. "What the hell happened?"

Nia quickly explained. "The "Carly" Kara was meeting was actually Lex. While he distracted her, Lena came up from behind and stabbed Kara with a kryptonite blade. She broke it off her in her back. We need to remove it and come up with a plan to heal her because with this much kryptonite in her system she'll...die."

"We'll just use our sun lamps we always use when Kara has injuries like this." Alex said as she looked up to see J'onn and Nia's expressions. "What?"

"Those won't work." J'onn said, looking down at his feet. "Lex said she would need a super dose of yellow sun radiation not possible on this planet. We can't travel to another because we still don't know the full extent of the damage caused by Crisis."

"So what are you saying?" Deirdre asked before Alex could. "We're just supposed to let her die?!"

Nia quickly shook her head. "No, we remove the blade and figure something else out. Once no more kryptonite can get into her system, it should slow the time down. That way we can find a way to save her."

"How are we going to remove the blade?" Cillian asked the group. "None of us have medical knowledge and we definitely can't take her to a hospital or the DEO."

That's when Alex's face lit up like a Christmas tree. "We might not have the equipment, but I know someone who does."

One quick call later and the group arrived at STAR Labs. J'onn carried Kara into the med bay with Caitlyn following quickly after. Alex joined them while Nia, Deirdre, and Cillian stayed in the main area with Cisco.

J'onn set Kara on the cot, causing her to gasp in pain. She quickly looked Kara over and instructed Alex to turn her on her side. So Alex as lightly as she could got Kara on her side, never letting go of Kara's hand. Caitlyn lifted Kara's shirt and her face became concerned.

"It's really deep in there. I think I can pull it out, but it's gonna hurt." Caitlyn looked to Kara for confirmation.

Kara weakly looked up at Caitlyn. "Do it."

Caitlyn grabbed her tools and got to work. She had to dig inside Kara's back to find the damn thing, causing Kara to scream at the top of her lungs. She squeezed Alex's hand almost to the point of breaking her hand. Caitlyn found the blade and slowly pulled it back out through the wound.

When it was released from her back, Kara gasped a sigh of relief. Her bright green veins began to fade as Caitlyn tightly wrapped her wound. Once wrapped, Alex laid Kara on her back so she could rest. Caitlyn escorted J'onn and Alex from the room so she could talk to everyone.

She moved to stand in front of the group. "I removed the blade from Kara's back. The kryptonite weakened her heightened healing so it could take quite a while to go away and the smallest thing could do massive damage. She is frail and weak and...could die if not taken care of."

A gust of wind hit the group as Barry skid into the room. He noticed Kara and turned to the others. "What happened?"

J'onn explained the situation about Lex stabbing Kara, his dastardly deeds, my predicament, and all the garbage in-between. Caitlyn and Cisco were deep in thought while Barry wanted confirmation.

"So you're telling me…" Barry said. "That Lex took Carly, made her a full vamtronian, injected her with a serum so he could control her, has evil plans of domination, Brainy and Lena are on his side, and he stabbed Kara with a kryptonite blade that could kill her unless we find a cure?"

The group collectively nodded with J'onn answering. "Yeah, that's the gist of it. Our first priority is figuring out a way to save Kara. The type of yellow sun radiation needed for something like this is something we can't produce with our tech and traveling off world could still be treacherous. We need another plan."

"Well, kryptonite disrupts Kara's solar panel-like energy absorption. It's like radiation poisoning. Doctors give blood transfusions to those affected with radiation to try and remove the toxins." Caitlyn's face lit up. "We could give her a transfusion of blood while removing her poisoned blood at the same moment."

"Wouldn't that be painful?" Nia asked

Cisco sighed. "Yeah, it would be. The kryptonite still in her blood would be moving at a higher speed which could cause her so much pain she'll go into shock. It could kill her before we get all the kryptonite out."

"Not if it doesn't hurt." Caitlyn said as the others looked at her like she was crazy. She reworded her sentence. "If a vamtronian took the tainted blood from Kara it would be pleasurable so we could transfuse the clean blood and she wouldn't go into shock. The vamtronian would live, but might feel ill for a few hours."

"Kara would never let Cillian or I near her veins." Deirdre shook her head. "We would need Carly for this plan and she's trapped with Lex."

"Then we just have to get her back." Barry suggested

Suddenly footprints could be heard from down the hall. The group prepared for a fight, only to have Brainy come into the room. No one lowered their hands as Brainy wasn't exactly a friend at the moment. Nia was the angriest of all of them.

"What are you doing here, Brainy?" Nia spit with venom.

He flinched, but tried to stay confident. "Look, I'm sorry. I was blinded by saving the future. I let everything else be drowned out, but my vision is now clear. Lex lied to me and I was idiotic enough to believe him. I know you will never forgive me for what happened to Carly, but just know I had no Idea about Kara. If I had, I would have done something."

"Would you have Brainy?" Barry asked with crossed arms. "You did curse one of your best friends to an eternity of suffering. She didn't want to be a monster and you forced her into one. You made her a lapdog to Lex Luthor, does that sound like a friend to you?"

Brainy sighed. "I know. I regretted it the instant it happened and I tried to apologize, but Carly won't have it. I don't blame her either, I've become the thing I was trying to stop, but that's not the point. I came here because I can help you get Carly back."

"Even if we get her back, she'll still be Lex's lapdog. He could come to get her at any time." Alex pointed out.

"No, not with this." Brainy held up a vial of some grey liquid. "If Carly is injected with this, his control will be eliminated."


	30. Something is Wrong

Alex raised a brow. "What do you mean his control will be eliminated?"

"Carly had convinced Lena to make an antidote for the serum I injected her with. If we can get this vial into Carly's system, his control should dwindle and Carly's free will will be restored. If we restore her free will, then we can take her to Kara and Lex can't make her return. She'll be free." Brainy explained

"How do we know we can trust it?" Barry asked. "Lena stabbed Kara. For all we know that cure could be poison in a bottle. Why should we risk giving it to her?"

"She seemed genuine." Brainy sighed. "She may hate Kara, but Lena has come to realize that she doesn't hate Carly. Carly's been through a whole lot of bad and Lena believes Carly deserves some good news."

"Well, then what's the game plan?" Nia asked, avoiding eye contact with Brainy. "We have an antidote for Carly, but we still have to rescue her, get her to drink it, and bring her back here. How are we going to do that?"

Brainy motioned for the others to come toward one of the screens. Using his mind he brought up a map of the facility with a red dot. "This dot indicates where Carly is being held. Her hands are chained above her head and she is dangling off the ground in a room with a padlocked door on the second floor. The windows are barred and the glass is thick, but it could be easily phased through. Barry could phase through the wall, grab Carly, and phase right back out."

"Won't the cameras or guards spot me?" Barry asked

"That you will leave to us." Brainy explained. "Nia and J'onn will distract the guards outside as you sneak in. I will keep any guards on the inside from getting to you, Cisco can hack the cameras to loop, and Caitlyn should stay with Kara to make sure she doesn't get worse. The quieter we do this, the better. If Lex gets a whiff of this plan, he'll vanish before you even blink."

"What else is Lex planning to do?" J'onn asked. "He must have some sort of evil plan if he had to get Kara out of the way."

Brainy nodded. "He does, but I think that will have to wait until we get Carly back. Lena looped the cameras for an hour, I have to get back so nothing looks amiss. I will make sure Lex is busy with work so you guys can get her out. Just be careful."

The others began to discuss their plan. Brainy handed the antidote to Barry and made his way to the elevator. Halfway down the hallway, Nia caught up with him. His finger was millimeters from pushing the button when her voice rang out. "Brainy, wait…"

Brainy turned around as she approached. "What is it, Nia?"

"I have a question to ask and I want you to answer truthfully." She said, Brainy nodding in agreement. "When you broke up with me, were you protecting me or did you mean what you said, that you didn't love me anymore?"

"I wanted to protect you." Brainy cried. "Breaking up with you was the hardest thing I ever had to do. My future counterparts told me that Leviathan had to be stopped and that Lex was the only one who could help me do it. I had to help him to secure the future and I didn't want you getting in the crossfire, but my counterparts were wrong. Lex is teaming up with Leviathan and I hurt all of you for no reason. Nia, I'm sorry."

"Brainy, you had to have known Lex was unpredictable." Nia reasoned

Brainy squeezed his eyes shut. "I know...I just thought I could control the narrative. I was naive and now I've ruined everything. I was so focused on saving the future, I didn't think of the present. Carly's life has been hell because of me and now Kara could die because of my mistake. I'm such an idiot."

"Brainy, you are not an idiot." Nia squeezed his shoulder. Brainy looked toward Nia with tear-filled eyes. "Many of us would have done the same thing. I mean you wanted to save the future and that is an amazing feat. You may have lost your way, but that doesn't mean you are lost forever."

"Nia...I still love you." Brainy blinked away the tears. "I know you will never forgive me, but…"

Before he could finish his sentence, Nia's lips were on his. Instant electricity passed between the two. Brainy loosened under her touch as the two continued to fight for control until neither could breathe.

Nia pulled back and Brainy was shocked. "I thought you hated me."

"I could never hate you, Brainy." Nia smiled, pecking him on the lips again. "Now go..."

Brainy shakingly nodded and went into the open elevator doors. Nia waved him off as the doors closed behind him. Now they just had to rescue me and everything would be right in the world or so they thought.

The group stood outside the warehouse waiting for a signal from Cisco to tell them that the coast was clear. This whole rescue seemed too easy and Barry just had the feeling something was off. When Cisco gave the go, they split up. Brainy was already inside dealing with Lex so Nia and J'onn silently attacked the guards outside.

Barry got a running start and ran up to the side of the building. He phased through the brick and plopped into the room I was chained in. He released the chain from the ceiling, causing me to fall onto the floor. Barry kneeled beside me and tried to get me conscious.

He shook my shoulder. "Carly, can you hear me? Carly? Carly, I need you to wake up."

I could hear Barry's voice so I slowly opened my eyes to blurry vision. When it cleared I saw Barry above me. "Barry, what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to get you out. I'm taking you to Kara." He said, swiping a hair from my face.

I nodded as he pulled me to my feet. He undid the chains so I could move my hands and feet freely again. He began to pull me forward, but I pulled my hand from his grasp. "Barry, you can't take me out of here. If Lex finds out he'll just find me and force me to come back. He has control of me, Barry. I can't go."

"Yes, you can because of this." Barry said, lifting the vial into my line of sight.

I was confused. "What is that?"

"The antidote." Barry said as my face lit up. "Lena had this created and she gave it to Brainy. He was the one who told us everything. Drink this and Lex will no longer have any control over you."

I snatched the vial from Barry and downed it in one go. He tried to warn me about taking it slow, but I just wanted this whole thing to be over. I downed the grey liquid in one go and it was awful. When I mean awful, I mean it tasted like I licked the bottom of a dumpster. I gagged it down and felt this weightlessness return to me. Like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders.

I smiled and Barry smiled back, quickly giving me a hug. When we separated he maneuvered me over to the wall and this is when I became confused. "The door is on the other side of the room."

"If we go out the door the guards will see us." Barry motioned to the wall. "I'm going to have to phase us through the wall."

I looked from Barry to the wall and back again. "Are you crazy? Have you ever phased another person before?!"

"No, but there's a first for everything." Barry said, turning his head to the movement we heard outside the door. "It's our only way out. Do you trust me?"

I bit my lip and slowly nodded. His smile returned, picking me up bridal style, and going to the other side of the room so he had space. Without warning he sped toward the brick siding. I squeezed my eyes shut in fear I would meld with the wall or worse, but when no pain surged through me I opened my eyes to find we were outside on the grass.

* * *

Lena looked at her watch. "It is 2 pm and test 34 on Non Nocere contacts commences now. I have modified the contacts with some of Lex's tech and will try this again."

Lex's goons brought out the prisoner from the other day and put him in the glass case. At this point he knew the routine so he sat silently in the chair they brought in the cage. Lena typed in the code and activated the contacts. The prisoner's eyes turned white just as his body went limp.

She typed in the command and hesitated. With a deep breath, she pushed enter. The command was sent and the prisoner shuttered. Then the contacts cleared so he could see without losing their effect on him.

Lena approached with a sigh. "Bradley, do you feel any different?"

"I feel the same as I did before." He muttered

"Well, they're supposed to feel like they aren't even there so that's a good sign. I want you to try and lie while answering the following question." Lena said, holding up an orange. "What color is this fruit?"

Bradley looked at the fruit and tried to form the word red, but his lips would not let him speak. He tried again, but struggled. "The fruit is r...r...r...eee...ddd...The fruit is orange."

Lena perked up with a smile. He couldn't lie, which means that part of the contact worked. Her next goal was to end violence. Lena unlocked the cage and he stepped out onto the floor. One of Lex's goons approached with crossed arms.

"Bradley, this man hurt your daughter. Hypothetically." Lena mentioned, motioning to the scary-looking guard. "I want you to try and punch him."

Bradley nodded as his fist flew forward. When it got inches from the guard's face he stopped as if a forcefield was holding him back. He tried again with the same effect. Bradley tried to even kick the guy, but his foot wouldn't make contact. He looked toward Lena. "I can't. My body won't let me."

Lena smiled from ear to ear to the point of almost crying. "It worked. Holy crap it worked. This is amazing. Thank you, Bradley. I will finish up and let you go to your family by tonight."

Bradley smiled as the goon took him back to his cell. Lena could jump sky high at how happy she was. Lex strolled in the room and Lena blurted out her excitement. "Lex, the contacts work. The testing is complete."

"We'll implement them into the contacts before release in two days." Lex said as his smile turned into a frown. "You were right about Brainy. He betrayed me."

Lena raised a brow. "I thought he believed your lie about the informant."

"He did until he hacked the footage and saw what happened." He turned to look at Lena. "Then you gave him that antidote you've been working on for Carly."

Lena began to deny her claim when he raised a finger to shush her. "Lena, I am not an idiot. I knew the day you called Deirdre. I bugged your phone in case you decided to betray me and it looks like I was in the right to do so. Carly was taken from the building by The Flash and her Super Friends. Brainy vanished soon after."

"Lex, just leave them be." Lena begged. "Non Nocere is complete. Once entered into those contacts the people will be out of your way. Unconscious or docile. Even if Carly saves Kara, it will be too late for them to stop us. Focus on our goal, instead hurting them."  
"Our plan will be accomplished, but that doesn't mean I can't hurt them as well." Lex smugly smiled. "I always have backup plans in case of a double cross. I altered your antidote when you accidently left the sample out on the counter in your lab."

Lena's eyes went wide. "What did you do, Lex?"

* * *

I followed the others back to STAR Labs. When I came into the main room Deirdre and Cillian saw me. Deirdre ran forward and hugged me tight. "I'm so glad you're okay. I showed them the footage of the warehouse. I had to tell them. I'm so sorry."

"Don't be sorry." I said, digging my face into her shoulder. "You did the right thing. Thank you."

When we separated I got hugs from Cillian, Nia, J'onn, Cisco, and Caitlyn. Then they led me to the med wing and the sight of Kara made my stomach fall to the floor. She was pale, clammy, and her eyes sunken in. She looked like she was dying. I stopped in my tracks and started to cry. Kara sensed someone was staring, which made her open her own eyes.

When her eyes opened I ran to the bed. I grabbed her hands and put them in mine. I kissed them with tear soaked lips. She smiled. "You're here."

"Of course, I'm always here." I kissed her hands again. "I'll always be here."

Caitlyn caught my attention. "Carly, I need to speak with you for a second."

I nodded and squeezed her hand before following Caitlyn and the others into the other room. I wiped the tears from my face and crossed my arms. "What is our plan to heal her?"

"We think a blood transfusion will do the trick as kryptonite poisoning is like radiation poisoning. Doctors give blood transfusions to those affected with radiation to try and remove the toxins. We think giving a transfusion of blood while removing her poisoned blood at the same moment will cure her." Caitlyn explained

I smiled and then I looked around at everyone else. "What aren't you telling me?"

Caitlyn began to explain, but Cisco beat her to it. "The kryptonite still in her blood would be moving at a higher speed which could cause her so much pain she'll go into shock. It could kill her before we get all the kryptonite out, but if a vamtronian took the tainted blood from Kara it would be pleasurable enough that she wouldn't go into shock."

"I can't bite her." I refused. "I could make her worse. Besides, I don't think ingesting kryptonite is a good thing."

"I've done my research. If you ingest kryptonite it may make you ill, but it will not kill you. This is the only way I know Kara can be healed. If we try any other way her body could go into shock and she'll die. I know you're scared of losing control, but you are the only one she would allow to do this. She believes in you." Caitlyn explained

"We all believe in you." Barry said with an understanding smile.

I looked toward Deirdre who agreed with the others. "Just breathe and focus on saving her. I will be right next to you if you begin losing control. I will be there for you. You can do this."

I gritted my teeth and looked toward Kara. Her weak stature broke me down and I realized I had no other choice. I went back into the room and sat down beside Kara. Caitlyn set up the blood transfusion bag as I squeezed Kara's hand.

When it was all set up, I looked toward Kara. The others left the room to give me some privacy as Deirdre stayed on the other side of the glass in case I couldn't control myself. I was shaking and Kara noticed. "You can do this, Carly. I trust you."

"I could kill you, Kara. I would have killed that drunk man if Lena had not stopped me. What if I take too much and you die. I would never forgive myself." I cried

Kara's hand reached up so she could grasp my chin and turn my head toward her. She smiled, wiping a tear from my cheek. "You won't hurt me because I know you can control yourself. I trust you and I always will."

She painfully leaned forward and kissed me. Both our tears mixed into the kiss, but that didn't matter. Kara laid back on the bed and mouthed I trust you one last time. I looked from her face to her wrist. With a loud exhale I sunk my fangs into Kara's skin.

Kara gasped and began to silently moan. It was just as explosive of a feeling as the last time, but the small shards of kryptonite made it taste bitter. Metallic in a way.

I let myself get lost in the feeling as her heartbeat synced with mine. I clung to her wrist like I would die without it and I drank and drank. The bitter taste slowly subsided as her blood became clean. Deirdre noticed the change and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Her blood is clean, you can stop now."

I wanted to ignore her plea and continue to drink until nothing was left, but then it came back to me who I was feeding from and I quickly removed my mouth. I licked the blood from my lips as Kara fell asleep. Caitlyn ran into the room to check all Kara's vitals and when they came back healthy a sigh of relief passed over everyone.

Once she woke up, Kara would be placed under the sun lamps, which Alex had snatched when she left the DEO, and Kara would be back to her crime fighting self. We left Kara to rest and went into the lounge to catch up. I told them everything that had happened from Lex to my powers to the homeless guy and even Lena becoming not so terrible.

They all felt so guilty for not noticing something was wrong, but I assured them that there was nothing they could have done. I was feeling comfortable and truly happy for the first time in weeks, when someone suddenly appeared in the doorway. I looked up to find Brainy standing there and my smile turned into a frown. He motioned for me to follow him into the hallway and I obliged.

I followed him into the hall with crossed arms. "Brainy, what do you want?"

"I want to apologize." Brainy said, wringing his hands. "I did a lot of awful things to you and I am so sorry. I know getting the antidote and helping the others save you will not make up for what happened, but I want you to know I truly am sorry. I was so blinded by my mission that I didn't understand the harm I was causing."

I was about to burst into anger when I felt this sharp pain in my side. "Aw…."

Brainy noticed the expression on my face and instantly became worried. "What's wrong?"

"I...I don't know….mhm..." I gasped as the pain got worse. "My stomach hurts."

I collapsed onto my knees, clutching at my stomach. I began gasping for air as I fell onto my back. Brainy yelled for the others while I dug my nails into the floor, chipping the tiles. Everyone ran into the hall and noticed my pain. Barry crouched beside me. "Carly, what's happening?"

"I don't know." I looked at him with a face twisted in pain. "Something is wrong. Something is very wrong."  
Cisco looked toward Caitlyn. "I thought you said the kryptonite would only make her weak. You never said she would be in debilitating pain."

Caitlyn was worried. "There shouldn't be any pain. She should just feel tired. This isn't the kryptonite."

I screamed as my eyes went pure white. The others looked toward one another with fear and worry. Suddenly I lost all consciousness and passed out. Falling into the dark abyss of nothingness.


	31. Lex is Always One Step Ahead

The group surrounded the cot which had been placed near Kara's. Kara was still fast asleep so they let her be as the others turned their attention to a new problem. There always had to be another problem.

Barry was the first to address this problem. "What's wrong with Carly?"

"I don't know." Caitlyn shook her head. "Kryptonite wouldn't have done this to her. Something else must have caused this reaction."

"Is she going to be okay?" Nia asked, fiddling with her fingers.

Caitlyn shrugged. "I don't know. She has no heartbeat and breathing isn't mandatory for a vamtronian so I don't know if she's dead, in a coma, or just fainted. We won't know until she wakes up."

"Here let me try something." J'onn said, stepping forward and placing a hand on my forehead. He closed his eyes and tried to focus on my brain waves. A gasp escaped his lips as he quickly removed his hand. This worried the others.

"What did you sense?" Deirdre asked, stepping closer to J'onn.

"Carly's alive, but she's trapped." J'onn said, stepping back from the cot.

A gasp filled the room as everyone turned around to see Kara was sitting up. Alex and Caitlyn ran to her side, Alex for comfort and Caitlyn to check her vitals. Caitlyn checked her over and nodded to the group to tell them she was fine. Relief set in for everyone, except Kara.

She looked around and realized I wasn't there beside her. Kara looked over to see the others crowded around something. J'onn moved aside to reveal I was passed out on the cot. Every fiber in her being switched from worrying about herself to worrying about me. She got up from the bed, even at Caitlyn's insistence.

The group dispersed so Kara could approach me. She kneeled down beside the cot and pushed a hair from my face. She looked from me to the others. "I thought you said she would only get ill, this was not part of the deal."

"It wasn't the kryptonite that did this." Caitlyn inferred. "I'll run a few tests with Cisco and we'll find what did."

"Before Kara woke up, J'onn you mentioned Carly was trapped." Deirdre asked

Kara looked from me to J'onn. "What do you mean trapped?"

J'onn sighed. "When I touched Carly's forehead, I could sense her brain waves. Yet, something else was there. Like a barrier of some sort. Someone locked her inside herself."

Brainy ran into the room. "Guys, we have a problem."

Barry came to a conclusion and used his speed to grab Brainy by the collar and slam his back into the wall. The others were surprised by the sudden bang, but none of them moved to stop Barry. Brainy grabbed at Barry's hand, but his grip did not loosen.

"It was that antidote, wasn't it?" Barry yelled. "That is the only explanation for her collapse. You knew, didn't you? You knew what would happen and gave it to her anyway. Didn't you?!"

"No, I had no idea this would happen." Brainy pleaded. "Lena gave it to me right before I left to tell you about Carly. I promise, I had no idea it would do this. Please you have to believe me. I would never do this to Carly."

"Yet, you would damn her for eternity." Deirdre pointed out.

"Look, I regret what happened...I will until the end of my days, but you have to believe me." He pleaded, looking around at everyone. "I had no idea this was going to happen."

Nia stepped forward. "He's telling the truth, Barry. He had no idea this would happen to Carly."

Barry gritted his teeth and let Brainy go, moving back to stand beside Caitlyn. Brainy fixed his shirt and continued with what he was going to say originally. "We need to get back to National City."

"What happened?" Alex asked with crossed arms.

"I'll tell you once we get back to the city, but we don't have much time. I think Lex is planning to do something." Brainy looked toward Kara. "The city needs Supergirl."

Kara looked from Brainy down toward me. Her eyes blurred with tears as she brought my hand to her lips. A tear rolled down her cheek as she turned toward the group. "I can't leave Carly like this."

Caitlyn placed a hand on Kara's shoulder. "You go strengthen up and save the day. Cisco and I will tend to Carly while Barry goes on that planned date he had with Iris."

"No, I can't…" Barry refused. "I need to help Kara. If Lex is doing something evil I should be there to help."

"Barry go have fun." Alex offered. "We can handle this."

Barry was still ify so he looked toward Kara for confirmation. She slightly nodded with a small smile. "Barry go on your date with Iris. We'll be fine."

Barry reluctantly sped from the room. Deirdre and Cillian went back home until Caitlyn called them with more news. Nia, J'onn, and Brainy headed back to The Tower while Alex crouched down beside Kara and I.

"Kara, we have to go. Caitlyn and Cisco will look after Carly and figure out a way to wake her up." Alex squeezed Kara's hand. "She'll be okay."

"I finally get her back and she's in pain again." Kara cried. "I forced her to feed on me when she was so afraid to hurt me and now she's trapped inside her own head because of me."

Alex shook her head. "This is not your fault. Lena made the antidote and Lex was the one who got her into this mess in the first place. Besides her feeding on you saved your life and she would have done it again and again. It's time to go."

Kara allowed Alex to help her up and the two left the med bay. Kara looked back at me as she vanished out the door. The two took a taxi to National City and the others were already at The Tower when they arrived. Alex helped Kara into the sun lamps so her strength would return with speed. As she was healing up, the others collected around the table to discuss what the hell was going on.

Alex crossed her arms. "So, what's the problem now?"

"Lex did not share much about his plans, but I do know he plans to tamper with Andrea's new set of contacts as a joint effort of him and Leviathan. I think he already began testing as my alert came in that 12 very avid users of Obsidian Tech have gone missing." Brainy pulled up photos of the 12 people. "Their families all reported them missing within the last 36 hours."

"How do we know Lex is behind this?" Nia asked with genuine question. "Maybe, they all just got lost."

"That could be a possible explanation if I didn't find this."

A video appeared on the screen beside Brainy. One of the missing people was doing VR in their parked car. Suddenly their body went limp with the appearance of a woman and her bodyguard. The bodyguard pulled the poor man from the car and left the scene. The woman peered at one of the cameras before following after. Brainy zoomed in on the face and focused on the features to find Gamemnae.

"Are you sure Gamemnae and Lex are working together? Maybe, this was Gamemnae's doing and Lex had no involvement." J'onn suggested

Brainy nodded. "I am 100% positive because I saw her leave the other day when she chained Carly up. I do not know why they are kidnapping people while they are stuck in VR, but I know it can't be good."

"So how are we going to find them?" Alex pondered

Brainy began to answer when one of the lights on his chest flickered. He grabbed at one of his ears and gasped. Nia appeared by his side as the pain left just as fast as it had started.

"Brainy, are you okay?" Nia asked

"I'm fine." Brainy insisted as he breathed deeply and turned his attention back to the group, yet he seemed different. "I think we need to use Myriad to find them. If we reverse its Q waves it should short out the contacts and wake the people up. Once awake, J'onn will be able to sense their location."

"Using Myriad has never ended well for anyone..." The group turned to find Kara strolling into the room. The color had returned to her face and that confident look in her eyes did as well. She was back to full strength and as powerful as ever.

"Look, I know it's risky, but 12 people are missing." Brainy shrugged. "I don't know what Lex plans to do, but I doubt it's pretty. Myriad will be able to wake them up and I know it might not be the best call, but we don't have time to wait."

The group looked at one another and agreed. At the moment that was the best plan they had and it might just work. They knew trifulling with that tech could cause massive consequences, but they didn't have much time.

* * *

Lena crossed her arms. "Lex, what did you do to Carly?"

"I made sure she wouldn't be a problem when the contacts are released in a few days." Lex said as he saw the look on Lena's face. "I didn't kill her if that is what you are wondering."

"Then what did you do?" Lena asked

Lex sighed. "I trapped her in her mind. She is currently living through every bad moment in her life on repeat. Should keep her and the Super Friends busy until it's too late to stop us."

"Why do you have to continuously make Carly suffer?"

Lex leaned in with glaring eyes. "Do not judge me for being cruel. You stabbed Supergirl who used to be your best friend who is Carly's girlfriend. You broke her trust in every way possible. Do you think she'll forgive you? Now you are in the same boat as Kara in many respects. For different matters, but the same type of lie and broken trust."

Lena flinched at his words as an alert went off on his phone. He peered down at the screen as another smile appeared on his face. His plan was moving along quicker than he expected.

"But maybe you should have a chat with Karal…" Lex said, holding up the phone. "She is trying to use Myriad as we speak."

"She wouldn't do that." Lena shook her head. "She knows the danger of it. That's why she took it back from me."

"Well she just entered the Fortress of Solitude and Myriad has been turned on. Maybe, she just doesn't care." Lex egged

Lex left Lena to ponder what he said as he went up to his office to praise his own genius. He made it to the door when he heard breathing on the other side. He opened the door and Gamemnae was sitting at the table. His fake bravado returned.

"I heard Brainy and his friends broke Carly out." Gamemnae said with crossed arms.

He sat down across from her. "The Super Friends did break her out, but that is no issue."

"How is that not an issue?" Gamemnae said, leaning forward. "Your lapdog and brains are gone."

"The lapdog has been taken care of." Lex intertwined his fingers. "And Brainy...well I have a plan for that."

She raised a brow. "What is this plan you have in mind?"

Lex got an alert that someone used one of ships to travel to The Fortress of Solitude. With a smile he contacted another friend to follow. Then he looked up at Gamemnae with an even bigger smile. "Oh you'll see. Everything is fitting into place nicely."

* * *

Kara discussed the plan with the others and went to the Fortress of Solitude. She would use Myriad to locate the missing people and then shut it down. There were less invasive ways to find these people, but Kara didn't have time to waste. She had to finish this so she could get back to me when Caitlyn figured out a way to wake me up.

Kara went to the main computer and connected Myriad to the mainframe. As she got to work connecting the device a voice rang out from behind her. "Wow, so I can't use the device, but you can?"  
Kara turned around with crossed arms. "Lena, I am trying to find missing people that your brother and Gamemnae have kidnapped. This is the fastest way to find them."

"How do you know my brother has done these things? Huh? You just assume since he's a Luthor?" Lena agitatedly asked

"Gamemnae may be on video, but I know that Lex is working with her. I do not need to be a rocket scientist to figure that out!" Kara snapped. "Your brother is kidnapping people and I don't want them getting caught in the crossfire. I am trying to save lives here, which you clearly don't understand."  
"I understand more than anyone else!" Lena yelled

"Do you?!" Kara yelled back. "You are testing on human beings and plan to control them like zombies. Humans feel and if you take away the bad there is unbalance. Not to mention you almost killed me. Do not patronize me."

Lena began to speak, but Kara wasn't finished. "You say you want to save the world, but look what you are doing to get it. You're whole goal was to do no harm and yet in the last few days that is all you have been doing. You are not a hero, Lena. You are turning into Lex and I hoped you were better than him, but I was wrong."

"You started this whole mess." Lena retorted

"I started nothing." Kara shook her head with a grimace. "I lied to protect you. The more people that know the more my enemies can use them against me. I know that lying to you for so long broke our friendship and I hate that we are on opposite sides, but it's just how it has to be. I never meant to hurt you. My identity gets people hurt or worse killed and I was trying to save you from that."

"I'm a strong woman, I could've handled it!" Lena yelled

"I know you could have, but I try to protect the people around me, even when it's hard. I don't care that you tried to kill me. It just reaffirmed you are turning into Lex, but what I do care about is Carly. That was uncalled for." Kara said

"Lex altered the formula." Lena said with honesty. "I don't hate Carly. I was planning to unlink her from Lex so she could escape. I didn't want her to be trapped."

Kara leaned in close to Lena. "I don't care if it wasn't your plan to hurt her. I will never forgive you and I don't think Carly will either."

Suddenly the room shook and the two looked around with confusion. Lena expressed her concern. "What the hell was that?"

Kara pulled up the security footage to show a morae opening a containment box. "You were following Lena. Maybe your brother isn't the saint you think he is. Now get out of here, the morae is about to open a container with a baby Sun Eater in it. Unless you want to be fried I would suggest getting as far from here as you can."

Lena nodded frantically and ran from the room. Kara flew into the archive just as the morae had the box in its hands. She tackled it and fought over the box. She got the upperhand and knocked the morae unconscious. Sadly, when the box hit the floor, the lid fell off.

The sun eater escaped the box and grew in size. Kara's eyes turned into dinner plates as she decided her next move. She flew from the Fortress as the Sun Eater followed her with little damage to the structure.

Once out of the building it flew up into the sky, making its way to the sun. Kara dialed up The Tower with a frantic voice. "Guys, I need help. Lena was at the Fortress of Solitude and Lex had a morae follow her. He opened a containment box with a Sun Eater inside. Someone please come out here and help me!"

Kara flew up toward the beast as it grew in size. She tried to use her laser eyes on the Sun Eater, but it was only a tickle. She continued flying around the beast as the sun started to go dark. J'onn and M'gann appeared with a ship. Kara smiled at their arrival, but didn't have time to aw at their cute reunion.

M'gann had brought a Lexosuit for Kara so she could travel into space with them. She slid the suit on and the trio flew toward the sun. M'gann handed a hydrogen bomb to J'onn so he could detonate it inside the creature. When he got close one of the tentacles hit him and he flew off course. M'gann went for J'onn and Kara went for the device.

Once she knew J'onn was safe, Kara grabbed the bomb and launched it at the Sun Eater. When in range she used missiles on board the suit to strike the bomb, causing it to explode. The Hydrogen shrunk the Sun Eater so Kara could grab it with her hands. The three returned to earth and contained the Sun Eater once again, this time in a place no one would find it.

The three headed back to The Tower. M'gann and J'onn went off to reconnect while Kara returned to Alex, Brainy, and Nia. They discovered while fighting the Sun Eater, Lex had saved the missing people and made it look like he was a hero. None of them were surprised by this fact as Lex was really good at making plans and probably had this planned the entire time. The room went quiet when Kara's phone buzzed.

She noticed a message from Caitlyn that read. "We know how to get Carly out, but it could be dangerous. Tell everyone and come to STAR Labs immediately."

Kara read the message a few times and realized that she would go alone. She just got her strength back and if the others discovered it could be dangerous they would never let her do it. Kara slid her phone in her pocket and headed for the balcony. Alex noticed her leaving.

"Where are you going?" Alex asked

"Just getting some fresh air. Be back soon."

Kara flew off the balcony and headed straight to STAR Labs. She was going to save me no matter the risk. Love was always something worth fighting for.

* * *

Lex was ecstatic with his plan going exactly the way he wanted. Everything was going his way, but there was one last bug to swash. Gamemnae burst into the room with boiling rage in her eyes. Lex slowly rose from the table as Gamemnae approached.

"What the hell was that?!" She screamed. "Why did you kill my worker and rescue those people?!"

"The public thinks I'm a good person." Lex explained. "By rescuing those people and defeating your henchmen the public sees me in an even better light. They trust me and when people trust you they fall for easy traps. I had to so we could continue our goal without the public questioning my good nature."

"I could kill you for what you did!" She screamed, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt. "She was a close ally to me. Saving those people did not mean you had to murder my friend!"

"It was the only way, but do not focus your anger on me. I am not the enemy." Lex turned the TV on beside him with a broadcast of Supergirl defeating the Sun Eater. "Supergirl is a powerful adversary and if we plan to rule this world we need to remove the thorn in our foot. She is powerful and even a kryptonite blade did not deter her. The only way we may succeed is if Supergirl dies."

Gamemnae fell for Lex's charm and agreed to push her and Leviathan's anger toward Kara. She stormed out and Lex used his teleportation watch to transport himself into the one place that could make all his wants come true...The Fortress of Solitude.


	32. Stuck Inside Carly's Mind

Kara flew across town as fast as she could go. She landed behind STAR Labs and snuck through the back so no one would spot her in her suit. Kara jammed the elevator button, almost cracking it. When the doors opened she rushed into the med bay, causing Caitlyn and Cisco to jump.

She quickly spoke, "Did you figure out what's wrong with Carly?"

Caitlyn and Cisco looked at one another, noticing Kara was alone. "Where are the others?"

Kara lied. "They were busy dealing with containment of the Sun Eater so I came alone. What did you find out about Carly?"

Caitlyn and Cisco looked at one another again, neither believing what she just said. But they didn't have much time so Caitlyn explained nonetheless. "We discovered the antidote was the cause of this. An extra ingredient was added that reacted badly with the kryptonite, locking Carly inside her mind."

"We scanned her brainwaves and, with help from my leftover vibe tech, discovered Carly was trapped within her mind." Cisco wrung his hands. "Carly is reliving every bad memory she has ever had. She goes through each one and then it repeats."

"How do we get her out?" Kara asked with urgency

"The only way to get her out would be to go in. We have a machine that can connect two minds together, but you have to get to the very end of her bad memories and convince her to leave with you. Otherwise, she'll be trapped forever."

"Alright, send me in." Kara said, removing her jacket. "I'll do anything to make sure Carly is safe."

Caitlyn and Cisco set up the tech in the training room while Kara picked Carly up bridal style. She carried Carly into the room and placed her on another cot. Cisco placed wired pads on Carly's forehead as Kara laid down in the cot beside hers.

Caitlyn placed pads on Kara's forehead with a warning. "Kara, you have to know that whatever you see in there were real events in Carly's life. None of them are her making up dark tragedies and some of these times you may not know occured. You will be unable to interact with her until the very end when there is a gap between the repeating sequence."

"Send me in." Kara said, looking over at me and clutching my hand in hers. Caitlyn flipped the switch and Kara went unconscious, never letting go of my hand.

Kara appeared in Carly's old bedroom. She looked around with nostalgia. Kara and Carly had spent many a night in that room. Watching movies, doing homework, and just enjoying each other's company. Well, until 9th grade...that's when Carly kept making excuses for Kara to not come over. Kara was suspicious of this sudden switch, but never pushed further.

Suddenly Kara could hear stomping and her first instinct was to hide so she threw herself into the closet. Even though no one could see her she still felt the need to hide. She peaked through the crack in the door to see the calendar across the room read March 12th, 2010; Carly's 15th birthday.

Kara remembered that day. They had an awesome outing with friends and Carly was so happy when she left the mall. That following Monday she came to school looking so sad. Kara remembered asking Carly about it and she just told her one of her gifts was coming late, but deep down Kara knew she had been lying.

The door slammed open and 15 year old Carly ran into the room with tears in her eyes. Kara wanted to comfort her, but someone had followed her into the room; her aunt. "I'm not done talking to you!"

"Well, I am done talking to you!" Carly yelled back. "My parents accept me for who I am and you not feeling the same way does not matter to me. So why don't you just get out of the house if my presence makes you so uncomfortable."

"What you are doing is a sin!" Aunt Sheila yelled

"If liking girls is a sin then I'm going to sin all day!" Carly yelled with tears in her eyes. "My love is just as real as anyone else's. Just because I want to kiss girls does not make me any less of a person."

"What you wrote in this was sinful." Aunt Sheila held up Carly's diary.

Kara had seen this diary before as it was the same one Carly had now. Kara had seen Carly writing in her diary, but never tried to read it herself. She knew whatever was in there was private and not for her eyes to see. Her aunt had no right to read through her diary.

Part of Kara wanted to run out of the closet and kick the woman's ass, but she knew interacting was impossible. Nothing she would do or say would be seen or heard. So instead of acting, she stayed put and continued to listen.

She threw the diary at Carly. "I know you have a crush on Kara."

Carly froze as if her aunt had stabbed her. Her breath caught in her throat and the tears increased. Instead of freaking out Carly turned toward her aunt with a strong face.

"So, what?!" Carly yelled, causing her aunt to jump, "I'm in love with my best friend who has no idea how I feel. I deal with these feelings every single day about how being this way is bad and a "sin". This is who I am Aunt Sheila! I am not going to change for you or anybody else!"

Her aunt looked offended as she left the room, slamming the door behind her. Carly plopped down on the bed and just started to cry. Kara moved from the closet and tried to approach, but as she did the scenery changed to something completely different.

* * *

Lex had left to discuss plans with Gamemnae when Lena went into the cells to release the prisoner. Now that the testing was complete, he could go home. She arrived at his cell, but he was gone. She searched the area and noticed nothing was out of the ordinary.

She approached one of the guards with crossed arms. "Where's Bradley?"

The guard kept looking forward, not even noticing Lena's presence. She waved a hand in front of his face and the guard continued to ignore her. She stormed off to the surveillance room, but a guard stood in front of the door. She tried to move past him, but he mirrored her every movement.

Lena, now severely pissed, went into the conference room with no prying eyes. She hacked her tablet to get into the security footage. With a simple click she connected her tablet to the tv screen and went back a few hours.

She watched Bradley pacing in his cell as Lex and a few guards came to the door. A smile appeared on Bradley's face only to vanish quickly after. Lex ordered the guards to unlock the gate and drag him out the back of the warehouse. Lena switched cameras just as they threw him into the dirt.

He raised his hands in a begging stature. Lex said something to Bradley before pulling out a gun and filling him with bullets until he no longer moved. Lena gasped standing straight up with tears in her eyes and hands over her mouth. A sigh sounded from the entrance to the room, causing Lena to jump back. Lex stood there with disappointed eyes.

"If you hadn't pryed, you wouldn't have had to know." Lex sighed

"You killed him, Lex." Lena exclaimed. "He helped us and you killed him. Why in the hell did you do that?!"

"He knew too much, sis." Lex shrugged. "It was the only way."

"Bradley was innocent. He had a wife and daughter to go home to. We promised after the tests he could go home." Lena shook her head and made a decision. "I'm done. I'm shutting Non Nocere down."

She slammed into his shoulder and he grabbed her hand. "You're giving up that easily?"

"I've finally realized Kara was right. I am becoming you. I'm becoming a monster and I won't stand for it any longer. Bradley was the last straw. You will never change and I see that now." Lena pulled her hand from his grasp. "Non Nocere is done. I removed the code from the database last night as my suspicion began to mount. We're done."

"You can't just walk away." Lex threatened

"Watch me." Lena glared at him one last time before she stormed out of the room.

Gamemnae passed her in the hall and leaned against the door frame. "Is she going to be a problem?"

"No." Lex said, fixing his suit. "Our original plan is still in motion. Non Nocere was never going to be implemented anyway. With her out of the way, I won't have to pretend I care about her or her toys."

"So, what's our next step?" Gamemnae asked with intrigue.

"We launch the contacts tonight and watch the masses be trapped in their own heads. With them out of the way, defeating Supergirl will be a piece of cake."

* * *

Alex burst into the room tinted red with anger. Cisco actually looked frightened of Alex because when Alex was angry, she was not to be trifled with. When she saw Kara and Carly she sighed quite loudly.

Alex looked toward Caitlyn and Cisco. "Why didn't you try to stop her?"

"Kara wouldn't listen to reason." Caitlyn said. "I knew the second she arrived alone, she hadn't told any of you. I had to wait until she was in Carly's head to call or she would have stopped me."

"So what does Kara have to do?" Alex asked

Cisco shrugged. "We can't tell you for certain. All we know is Kara must go through the memories until it is about to repeat. Within that space she will be able to interact with Carly to try and bring her back. If Carly decides to stay she will be stuck in her mind forever. Kara has to convince Carly to come back with her."

The three looked down at Kara and Carly as Kara was still going through the memories. After Carly's fifteenth birthday, Kara had gone through many bad moments. From when Carly's mother died to the mean kids at school to the moments when Carly watched Kara fall in love with people that weren't her.

Kara was a sobbing mess. She never realized how much pain Carly had been through in her life. Carly had been so good at hiding her pain that Kara never realized she was hurting. Kara felt awful for not being there for Carly. She should've noticed, but she never had.

At last she made it to the last memory. Kara plopped down on the roof of a building. Carly was leaning up against the railing when someone flew down from the sky. Kara's eyes went wide when Superman from Earth-38 appeared beside Carly. As far as Kara knew the multiverse was still gone so how he had traveled back here was mystifying.

When he landed, Carly turned around with tears in her eyes, running into his arms. Kara was surprised at how close Carly was with Superman because Kara had no idea. She watched as the two hugged for quite a while before they sat down against the wall.

"A lot of crap has happened since you left. I've done some horrible things that keep me up at night. I killed someone, Clark." Carly paused to catch her breath. "Lex forced me to do the act, but I liked it and that scares me."

"Lex forced you to kill someone?" Clark asked with genuine concern.

Carly sighed. "Long story short, he kidnapped me. Lex forced me to kill so I would transition into a full vamtronian, then he injected me with something so I would be his lapdog, and he's making me do awful things. Tomorrow I have to infiltrate a Leviathan base, but I just have a bad feeling something terrible is going to happen."

That's when Kara realized what day this was. This was the day before Kara was stabbed by Lena and Carly was chained up. Carly began crying harder as Clark squeezed her hand.

She continued the story. "I discovered I have the ability to take bad feelings from others into myself whether that be pain, sadness, or anger. So the other day Kara and I got into a huge fight where I took her anger away. I was so enraged that I almost killed a homeless man. If Lena hadn't stopped me, I might've followed through. She'll never forgive me."

"Carly, none of this is your fault." Clark said. "Lex made this happen and he forced you to become the thing you fear. People make mistakes and you let anger get the best of you. I have let my anger blur my judgement many times, don't beat yourself up. Kara loves you and when you meet again she'll forgive you."

"Clark, I've been lying to Kara for weeks. I want to keep her safe, but it's tearing me apart to keep so many secrets. I could see the look of pain in her eyes and seeing that just made me shatter. I don't want to hurt her. I love Kara more than anyone else in this world." Carly explained

Kara sat down beside Carly knowing that she couldn't see her. She tried to reach for Carly's other hand, but she went straight through. Kara wanted to tell Carly she would forgive her for everything, but she had to wait til the memory was over.

"On my earth, you were only human, but you and Kara had similar issues." Clark sadly smiled. "Kara was fighting a man who could kill with one touch. She had to lie to you to keep you away from the fight. You were getting angry she was hiding so many secrets, but she was doing it to protect you. When you finally discovered why she had lied, you forgave her. I think your Kara will understand."

"How are you so sure?" Carly asked

"My Kara and Carly were so in love that nothing else mattered. When they fought their anger lasted for a short time before they missed holding one another. I can tell you two are exactly the same way. You both have your faults, but that doesn't make you any less perfect for one another. My Kara died saving you because she couldn't bear the thought of living without you...your Kara has that same spark in her eyes." Clark reassured

"Am I even deserving of her love?" Carly thought aloud, standing up and turning her back to Clark. "I'm so broken that superglue might not even work to put me back together again. She doesn't even know how dark my past truly is because I didn't want to scare her away. Kara's a hero and I don't even know what I am."

Kara looked around and realized the memory was fading. This was the moment she had been waiting for. With Carly's back turned, Kara approached and spoke with a whisper. "You are deserving of more than you realize."

Carly froze in place and turned to look directly in her direction. "Kara, what are you doing here?"

"You're stuck in your mind, reliving every bad moment in your life and I am here to take you home." Kara said, stepping forward.

"How much did you see?" Carly asked with tear stricken eyes.

"I've seen enough to know..." Kara began. "That you've been through a lot of crap in your life and I should've noticed you were hurting sooner, but I'm here now. I don't care if you think you're broken because I will find the glue to make you whole again."

"Kara, I…" Carly began

Kara placed her hand on Carly's cheek and her voice caught in her throat. Kara smiled through the tears. "Carly, you deserve my love and so much more. Nothing you ever do will push me away. When I am not with you, I feel like I can't breathe. I've been through many relationships, but none of them were like this. None of them were you. Now come back with me because I love you..."

"Kara, I love you too." Carly cried

The two kissed through the tears. As they kissed the scenery around them began to fade out to white. Then the two vanished themselves. Just as everything disappeared the two woke up in real life, both sitting up at the same instant.

When they awoke they turned to look at one another before jumping off the cots and kissing again. Clapping ensued and the two looked around to see all their friends watching them. The two's faces turned a tomato red as they quickly separated with awkward smiles.

After everyone hugged and welcomed Carly back, they went their separate ways. Team Flash had their own bad guys and Deirdre/Cillian had to focus on finding a house to share. Nia, J'onn, Alex, Kara, Alex, and Carly headed back to The Tower. When Brainy saw the group enter he smiled at Carly and she slightly nodded.

Then Carly suddenly caught the scent of a familiar perfume. Lena turned around in one of the rolly chairs. Carly was prepared to launch herself at Lena, but Kara held her back. She might've held Carly back, but she didn't cover her mouth.

"What are you doing here, Lena?" Carly asked with poison on her tongue.

She rose from the table. "I've made some mistakes."

"Mistakes?!" Alex yelled. "You stabbed Kara with a kryptonite blade that almost killed her!"

"I wasn't thinking clearly, but I am now." Lena sighed. "I know forgiving me is out of the question, but I want you to know Non Nocere has been shut down for good, but Lex has other plans. One of them being this…"

Lena nodded to Brainy as news footage appeared on the screen. The group moved closer to the TV as the reporter gave the news. "This afternoon a devastating attack left the DEO in shambles. The building is now crumbling ash, killing all 40 people inside. Where was Supergirl and why didn't she save these innocent lives?"

"The DEO...is gone."


	33. The Fight is Over For Now

All of us stood there in shock. The DEO was gone. How could the DEO be gone? All those people were dead because Lex distracted us. He killed them and made it look like he had survived when it was clear as day he was behind the attack in the first place.

This is when Lena took the floor. "Lex has blown up the only thing holding him back. Before I left I scanned his files onto a secret USB. At the new VR launch happening this afternoon he plans to lock all the participants inside while Gamemnae goes to work killing them. Removing the pests from the picture."

"Does Andrea know about this?" Kara asked with crossed arms.

"I don't know if she's involved or not." Lena shrugged.

I moved closed with fire in my eyes. "How are we supposed to trust anything you say? After all the crap you have done?"

Lena sighed. "I was blinded by my need to fix humanity. I have now realized that I was wrong. I was becoming Lex and I didn't want that to be my legacy. Even when I stabbed Kara I regretted it instantly afterwards. I was angry and stupid and out of line. I shut down Non Nocere for good, but Lex won't give up. He'll stop at nothing to get what he wants."

"Well what's your plan, Lena?" Alex asked with the same type of poison I used when speaking with her.

"It's simple." Lena explained, ignoring our glares. "Kara goes into VR to get everyone out. If they are disconnected, Gamemnae cannot reach them. She has to convince them to leave and while that is going on everyone else can distract Lex and Rama Khan from getting to the ceremony on time."

"Wait, Rama Khan is still alive?" J'onn exclaimed

Lena nodded. "Yes, he is. He was the one to destroy the DEO. Lex has buddied with Leviathan and plans to gain their trust before eventually causing their downfall. He wants the power they possess and will stop at nothing until he gets it."

"Where are Lex and Leviathan now?" Kara asked

This is when Brainy stepped forward. "They are at the abandoned Bannerman hall across town. If I am reading their plans right they plan to attack at 2 o'clock this afternoon. If we can scope out the area and distract them, Kara can sneak in and save everyone."

As everyone was preparing for the battle to come, Lena approached me. I was prepared to follow Kara, but she pushed me toward Lena. I gritted my teeth and turned toward her with a fake smile.

She wrung her hands. "Can we talk for a second?"

I nodded and followed her to the other side of the room. I didn't want to give her the light of day, but if Kara was willing to speak to Lena, I had to give her the same respect. We walked onto the balcony and looked off toward the city.

I sighed. "What is it you want, Lena?"

"I wanted to apologize for everything that's happened." Lena said, looking down at her feet. "I know you may never forgive me, but I want to say it nonetheless. That antidote was genuine until Lex messed with it. I honestly wanted to help you."

"If you wanted to help me, you wouldn't have stabbed Kara." I said, shooting daggers with my eyes. "You knew how much I cared for her and you made me watch her be attacked. Then I had to save her by almost losing control and to top it off I got trapped in my own mind having to relive every horrible memory I have ever had. Moments I buried deep down because remembering was too painful."

"I was not the reason for being trapped in your own head and I did not know you were watching when I stabbed Kara." Lena said with honesty in her eyes. "If I had known, I wouldn't have done it. Besides, I regret it just as much as you regret not being there to save her. I let my anger get the best of me and I am truly sorry."

"Sorry just isn't going to cut it." I said, beginning to walk away when she grabbed my hand. I stopped and turned to face her. "Lena, let go."

"Carly, please." Lena begged

"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to." I said, pulling my hand from her grasp. "Help Kara get those people out and apologize to her. If she decides to trust you, then I'll do the same."

I left Lena on the balcony and joined the others. Kara and Lena stayed behind to get into VR while Nia, J'onn, Brainy, Alex, and I left to distract the bad guys. We arrived as Lex and Rama Khan were waiting for us.

I went for Lex as the others went for Rama Khan and his minions. We stood across from one another with sadistic smiles. He spoke first. "Well, welcome back to the conscious. Did you enjoy your trip?"

"Oh, it was fantastic." I said as we circled one another. "Reliving every bad memory I've ever had really made my day."

"I'm glad I could be of assistance."

We ran at one another at full speed. He was in a Lexo Suit so he had great strength, but so did I. Each attack thrown was blocked or dodged. This continued until we separated and Lex began to taunt again.

He smugly smiled. "You try to be human when you are no longer such a thing. You try to block out the darkness when you should be reveling in it. Why fight your own nature?"

I sighed. "I fight for Kara."

He laughed aloud, "You are such a weakling. You don't need anyone else as long as you have yourself."

"Maybe, that's why you're still alone."

Lex lunged himself at me, but I dodged just in time for him to miss. He ran at me again, his hands landing on my shoulders and pushing me backward. My feet slid across the grass as I pushed against him in the same manner. I grabbed him, twisted him around, and flipped him over my shoulder, his back slammed into the dirt with a thud.

He quickly got up to a crouching position and used his speed to hit my foot, causing me to fall onto my back. He began to straddle me while holding my arms down beside my head. "If you were the vamtronian you should be, I wouldn't be able to fight you. You're a bloodsucker, act like one."

"I'm not a monster like you." I said, baring my fangs at him.

"Maybe not yet." He laughed, letting go of my arms and grabbing me by my collar so my face was closer to his, "But one day you might become me. You will crave blood and at some point you won't be able to stop. You are a monster, Carly. It will consume you whether you want it to or not."

I used this opportunity to grab his arms and push him off of me. I got to my feet and he did the same with a bit of a spin, "I won't end up like you. Ever. Kara loves me and I love her. You have no one who loves you, not even your own sister."

He ran at me and I ran at him as we collided into one another. He would try to punch me and I would block and vice versa. It was a fair match, until he pulled out an ashwood stake. I noticed the light colored wood and backed up. He smiled smugly as he grabbed me by the throat and slammed my back into the wall 25ft away from us.

He placed the stake above my heart and I grabbed his hand. He began pushing it toward me and I began pushing it away. When it hit the edge of my shirt I knew if I didn't distract him, he would kill me. Luckily, Nia noticed my predicament and came to the rescue.

She used her energy beam to knock Lex across the field. When he stood, instead of coming for me again, he flew off and vanished. Rama Khan and his minions were defeated. Alex got the call that everyone had gotten out of VR safely.

We were all smiling until Nia collapsed in pain. We ran to her side as she grasped at her head. When the gasping stopped she looked at me with fear. "Brainy's in trouble."

"How he's…" I turned around to realize Brainy wasn't here with us. I looked around and the others shrugged. "Well, that's weird."

"He's dying." Nia cried as she began to hyperventilate.

I held her shoulders so she would look at me. "Where is he?"  
"Leviathan...ship...above...LCorp Warehouse." She stuttered

I got up and was prepared to leave when I noticed the others trying to come with me, but I refused. "Stay here and make sure they are all defeated. I'll go after Brainy."

"You can't go there by yourself." J'onn insisted

I placed my hand on his shoulder. "I'll be fine. Call Kara and get her down here. I'll get Brainy and if I am not back in 15 minutes come for the ship."

Before any of them could complain, I flew off. When I arrived it was midair so I used my flight to land on top of the ship. Then I simply found the hatch and made my way inside.

I could feel the radiation pushing against my skin, but since I was technically dead there was no effect on me. I ran through the ship to the main control room to find Brainy leaning up against the side of the ship. His green skin was covered in sweat with blood on his lips.

I ran to his side and crouched down beside him. He turned his head with a weak smile. "Hi…"

"Brainy, why the hell did you come here alone?" I asked

"I wanted to make up for my sins." He coughed, blood forming on his hand. "I stopped Leviathan by shrinking them."

I looked down at the containment bottle in his hands and could feel the power radiating off of it, but that wasn't my concern right now. "We'll get this back to the Tower so the others can determine what we should do with it, but right now we need to get you out of here."

I wrapped his arm around my shoulder as we stood up. I heard movement from down the hall as Lex came into the room. The sight of us and the bottle made him livid.

"Brainy, that was very brave of you to come in here knowing full well it would kill you. You think you stopped me, but I have only begun." Lex said, looking at the bottle and then back to us. "I knew you wouldn't be able to kill them due to your good nature. Hand me the bottle and I'll let you both leave here alive, especially since Brainy will die if he doesn't get out soon."

I looked from the bottle to Lex. "I'm not letting you get this bottle. I give you this and you'll try to kill the love of my life again, which I cannot let you do."

My eyes went red, my fangs extended, and I was angry. Now that Lex had no control over me, I could get the revenge I so rightly deserved. He noticed my transformation and tried to act tough. "Carly, you wouldn't kill me. You know how Kara will feel if you do."

"I don't care if Kara hates me." I hissed. "Sometimes death is what the villain deserves."

I snarled at him and tilted my head like a predator does when watching its prey. He took a step back as I smiled. Lex ran for the door, but I caught him before he made it. I grabbed the collar of his shirt and brought his face close to mine. "You made me this monster and now you are going to experience first hand what I can do."

"You're not a killer." Lex mocked

I laughed. "I used to not be a killer, but then you made me hurt that innocent girl and due to your pain I almost killed another. I want you to feel their pain, Lex. You are the reason I am stuck like this so why don't you experience what it's like to have your life drained away to nothing."

"Carly, don't do this." I turned around to find Brainy was the one to say this. He looked up at me with weak eyes. "You feed on him and you will be just as awful as he is. Don't stoop to his level. It's...what he wants. Don't let him win again..."

As my back was turned, Lex took his opportunity. He had a stake in his back pocket. With one swift motion he removed it from his pocket and as the stake neared my chest, I was pushed out of the way. I hit the ground as I heard flesh tearing. I quickly turned to find Deirdre standing where I had been.

My eyes went wide just as Lex's did. Deirdre looked down at the stake just as Lex wrenched it free. She looked back up at Lex, collapsing onto her knees. She fell onto her back as he stepped over her. I wanted to tear his head off, but Deirdre was my first priority so I appeared beside her.

Lex approached Brainy and pulled the bottle from his weak grip. Lex held the bottle in the air and looked at it with awe. "With this I will kill Supergirl and finally have the power I so rightly deserve."

He smiled to himself and quickly exited the ship. I noticed Brainy was losing consciousness and I knew getting him out was the only option, but I couldn't leave Deirdre like this either.

That's when she grabbed my hand. "Get him out of here or he'll die."

"I'm not leaving you like this." I said, gasping as I felt her pain.

"You have to."

I looked from her to Brainy and back again. I knew she was right, but that didn't mean I agreed to it. So I squeezed her hand and made my way over to Brainy. I wrapped his arm over my shoulder and pulled him to his feet. We got to the door when my legs began to give out and I needed to rest for a moment.

Brainy looked over at me. "We can't get off of the ship like this."

"Don't you talk like that." I said, catching my breath. "I will get us out of here."

"No you won't." Brainy gasped. "You're in pain due to Deirdre and I won't make it another 5 minutes in this place. If we don't get out now I will not survive and even if I did get out, it's possible the damage is irreversible."

I instantly knew what he was suggesting. "I'm not leaving you here, Brainy."

Brainy swallowed the spit in his throat. "I've made a lot of mistakes, Carly. I want to atone for my sins. I hurt you and all of our friends. Please, let me die a hero."

"Not happening." I frantically shook my head. "Nia has forgiven you and others are getting there."

"What about you?" Brainy asked as our eyes met. "Do you forgive me?"

I sighed. "I'm still pissed about what happened, but I understand you just thought you were saving the world from Leviathan. It will take me time to fully trust you again, but I am willing to try, which means you are leaving with me. Now let's try this again."

I stood back on my feet and the two of us walked until we got to the entrance. I opened the hatch as the two of us stood on the edge, looking down at how far away the ground was. Brainy and I looked at one another before jumping from the hatch. We cascaded quickly downward as I focused on the feeling of the air around us and imagined we were floating above the ground. Suddenly the wind around us stopped. I opened my eyes to find we were floating about two feet above the grass. When I realized we were alive, we both fell onto the grass with a thud.

I looked over at Brainy who began to laugh. I thought he might have started losing his mind so I questioned it. "Why are you laughing? We almost died and Lex got the Leviathan."

"He didn't get Leviathan." Brainy gasped, turning his head to look at me. "I shrunk the real one down and hid it in my pocket. He just had some rocket fuel from the ship."

Brainy pulled out the mini bottle and I smiled ear to ear. I took out my phone which finally had bars and handed it to Brainy. "Call the others so they can come find you."

He knew exactly what I planned to do. "Don't go back up there, Carly. Without a power source the ship is unstable. It could kill you before you save Deirdre."

"If she dies, part of me dies as well." I insisted. "I have felt that pain before and I will not..I refuse...to feel it again."

I gave him one last look before shooting into the sky. I made my way onto the ship and back to Deirdre. When she saw me she was not happy. "What are you doing back here?"

"Saving you." I said, grabbing the stake with both hands and retching it from Deirdre's chest. "Why aren't you healing? What's wrong?"

Deirdre gritted her teeth. "Animal blood keeps me alive, but it makes me weak. Getting hurt can cause a lot more damage than it should."

She looked up at me with blood on her lips. That and the pain in my chest made my decision for me. I pulled the neckline of my jacket down to my shoulder. "Drink from me."

Deirdre shook her head. "No, I could kill you."

"I'm willing to take that risk." I said, revealing more of my neck. "Drink or you'll die."

She again shook her head and this time she yelled. "You don't get it, Carly! If I feed on you I could seriously kill you! One of the reasons I started feeding on animals was that I have a problem stopping. When we were at the pool I almost outright drained you dry. It took everything from me...not kill you. Don't make me do this."

I took my fingernail and cut the side of my throat. The scent hit her instantly and she tackled me onto my back, holding my hands beside my head. Her breathing had become labored and her eyes were locked on my throat.

I whispered, "Do it."

She looked from my neck up to my face. "I could kill you."

"If you don't, you'll die. I would not be able to live with myself if that happened again." I tilted my head to the side. "Do it before I change my mind."

Her grip tightened on my wrists, her breathing to the point of hyperventilation, her fangs fully extended, and her eyes a bright red. She tried to resist, but her wall came crumbling down. She leaned forward and her fangs sunk deep into my neck.

I gasped aloud, clinging to the back of her jacket. Euphoria filled my body as if I had taken every drug known to man. The thing with a vampire bite is it's painful, but oh so pleasurable all at the same time. It's the perfect mix of ecstasy and pain that make you feel euphoric. I could feel her teeth in my neck and every movement made another wave of pure bliss flow through me.

I had forgotten what kind of pleasure our bite can have. I always feel awful when I have to bite someone, but in reality it was probably the best moment of their lives. I could feel my life force draining away as my arms fell to the side.

Suddenly the lights turned red with the self destruct alarm going off. The sudden noise made Deirdre pull back. She had taken too much for me to get up on my own. We had thirty seconds and there was no time to waste.

Deirdre wiped her face and picked me up bridal style. She ran through the ship as fast as she could run. When the 10 second mark began, she jumped from the ship. The ship exploded behind us, causing our descent to go even faster.

The others saw the explosion and headed in that direction, finding Brainy on the grass. J'onn and Nia took Brainy to the hospital and Alex went to hide the Leviathan. The others saw Deirdre floating down toward the earth. Kara approached when she saw I was unconscious in Deirdre's arms.

Deirdre set me on the grass and Kara kneeled beside me, looking up at Deirdre. "What happened?"

"I had been stabbed with a stake protecting Carly." Deirdre sighed. "She got Brainy off the ship and came back for me. Carly gave me her blood so I wouldn't die."

"Is she dead?" Kara asked with tears in her eyes.

Deirdre shook her head. "No, if she were I would have felt it. She's close, but not there yet. Once she has blood she should be as good as new. She knew what she was risking and gave me her blood anyway. She was very heroic."

Kara squeezed my hand as I weakly opened my eyes. "Are you okay?"

I sighed. "Could be better...mhm."

Cillian came to Deirdre's side. He calmed her down and looked over at the others. "I'm going to get her out of here. Take care of Carly."

Cillian and Deirdre were gone, leaving only Lena, Kara, and I. Kara sighed a loud and turned toward Lena. "I'm going to take her back to our apartment. It may take some time, but I hope we can trust each other again soon."

"Yeah, so do I."

She whispered something to Lena I couldn't make out before returning to my side. Kara picked me up, my head lying limp against her arms. I remember shooting into the sky as the wind slammed into my closed eyelids. I was conscious enough to hear, smell, and taste, but my eyelids were like iron gates rusted shut. Suddenly, the wind stopped and I felt Kara land on the balcony.

Kara laid me on the couch and sat down next to me. She examined the bite and noticed how jagged and severe it was. A sad look appeared in her eyes. I couldn't see it, but I knew it was there. "I should've been there to protect you."

I mustered up the strength to speak. "Don't blame yourself that I got hurt. I never even told you where I was going."

Kara maneuvered so her face was above me as I could see the shadows from within my closed eyes. She leaned in and placed her lips on mine. Suddenly I tasted something I recognized on the edge of my tongue. I pushed Kara back with my weak hand. "Kara, don't."

"I have to help you." Kara insisted. "You saved my life, now let me save yours. Lena created a portable device when she still hated my guts and she let me borrow it."

"You used a red sun transmitter to turn you human, didn't you?" I quietly asked

Kara nodded. "Carly, I had to. I can't lose you."

Her lips met mine again and the last of the blood on them came into my mouth. This gave me the strength to open my eyes and slowly sit up. I wiped my lips and looked toward her. "You are almost human now, I might kill you. Don't you get that? I don't want to lose you just as much as you don't want to lose me. Do you think I could live with myself if I killed you?"

"Carly, look at me." Kara insisted as she stood before and took my face in both her hands, "I'm not afraid of you. You won't kill me, I know you won't."

"Kara, what if I do?" I asked

"If you do, then know it's not your fault." Kara cried as she tried to reassure me, "I chose to do this, so if you blame anyone blame me. I'm going to save you, Carly. I am not going to watch you die, even if it kills me."

"Kara, please don't make me do this." I begged

"I'm sorry, but I have to…"

She pulled me closer to her on the couch. I shook my head and tried to pull back from her, but she had more strength than I even in her weakened state. She pulled me into a hug so my face was pressed against her throat. My teeth ached with hunger and I knew that if I didn't feed I would die. I wanted to push her away, but I knew she wouldn't let me move.

I looked down at her neck and saw the veins pulsing underneath her skin. Her scent radiating off her like a drug. My fangs extended as I gritted my teeth. I was breathing loudly trying to stop myself from biting her, but I couldn't hold back any longer. I let the breath I was holding out in a gasp, causing Kara to shiver. I couldn't keep it together any longer and sunk my fangs deep into her neck.


	34. A Beautiful Wedding (The End)

The taste hit my tongue like an explosion of flavor. Her moaning was music to my ears and her heartbeat syncing with mine was even more so. It's like the world around us vanished and I could only think about her blood. I had fed on a few different people since I became this creature, but no one's blood was like Kara's. It was on a whole different level, like liquid gold.

Kara's heart beat fast in her chest, shivering under my touch. I latched onto her throat as if nothing else mattered, each sip was pure angelic grace. I continued to feed as she laid back on the coach, me leaning above her.

Her arms wrapped around my neck and I felt a tug at my shirt. I pulled back worried I had taken too much. She smiled weakly, but luckily not on the brink of death. She brought my face in close, kissing me, not caring that her blood still caressed my lips.

I kissed her back, softly at first, and then with a swift gradation of intensity that made her cling to me as the only solid thing in a dizzy swaying world. My insistent mouth was parting her shaking lips, sending wild tremors along her nerves, evoking from her sensations she had never known she was capable of feeling. Her hands grabbed at my cheeks as our kiss got more passionate. She flipped me onto my back and held my arms down beside my head. She was smiling ear to ear.

I raised a brow. "You like it up there, don't you?"

"I think I do." She suggestively smiled, leaning down and kissing me again.

She kissed my lips and made a trail down my face toward my neck. When I shivered it was her time to smile. She continued to trail kisses around my face and until she pulled back. Looking deeply into my eyes. "Carly, I have to ask you something…"

Her kisses distracted me so I responded in a raspy voice. "Yes, anything."

Kara pulled back without letting go of my wrists. "Carly Emily Matthews, will you do me the honor of marrying me?"

For a second I thought she was joking, but the look on her told me she wasn't. She let go of my wrists, but still sat on my waist, pulling a ring from her pocket. I looked from the ring to Kara with surprise.

She smiled, "Carly, we have been best friends since we were in 5th grade. You have loved me for so long and I am still so sorry it took me this long to realize I love you too. We've been through a lot of crap in this year alone and I never want to live my life without you. Will you marry me?"

I looked into Kara's eyes and saw the love behind the ocean blue. She loved me no matter my flaws. I knew there were so many consequences to this, but I couldn't hold back. A smile appeared on my face and nodded frantically. "Yes...yes I'll marry you."

She slid the ring onto my finger as we kissed again. We fell onto the floor laughing. She held my arms beside my head once again and whispered into my ear. "Would you like to head to the bedroom, future Mrs. Danvers?"

"Oh I would want nothing else."

She pulled me from the floor and we kissed as we walked toward the bed. Even with her weakened strength she threw me onto the covers. The kissing continued and...we went under the covers. I'd tell you what happened, but I think your mind can picture the rest.

* * *

In the next few weeks, Kara, Alex and even Lena helped plan the event. I wanted to help, but they wanted this to be a surprise. Lex was still in the wind and he could come and attack at any moment, but we tried to stay in a good mood.

Finally the day arrived and I woke up to the smell of pancakes. I couldn't actually eat the pancakes, but the smell put me in a good mood nonetheless. I rose from the bed and found Kara in the kitchen. She had picked fresh flowers, which sat in the center of the counter.

When she saw me, her eyes lit up like spotlights. She pulled me to the counter and placed a glass of blood in front of me, while chewing on her pancakes. "Drink up, you have a busy day ahead of you."

"You know if you had let me help you plan everything out, you wouldn't have been so stressed lately. " I said, taking a sip while licking my lips. "I don't even know what my dress looks like."

"Oh don't worry, you'll love it. I want this to be the most magical day of your life." Kara smiled

I looked at her with the same type of smile. "You know it's supposed to be your special day too, right?"

"Oh, I know. Don't worry, I'm already excited."

She finished off her pancakes just as I finished my blood. When we had eaten, she literally pulled me from the house and across town to the church through a back door so I couldn't see the decorations within the chapel. Stylists were waiting to do my hair, makeup, and getting my dress on. She threw me into the room and vanished before I could say a word.

The stylists got to work. For my hair it was a princess style updo with cascading curls and a veil covered in sparkling beads pinned to the top of my head. My makeup was a smokey eye with tints of gold near the center, light blush, and pale lipstick. Then it was time for the dress and I almost started crying at how beautiful it was.

The gown was floor length with a long beautiful back. The top and bottom were separated by a V of sparking beadings and swirling designs of flowers. The neckline was a princess style, my sleeves below the shoulders; big and poofy. It was as white as freshly fallen snow and it was exactly how I pictured it.

The women helped me slide into the dress and as it was being zipped up I heard a knock at the door. I turned around to find my father standing in the doorway. The women made their exit so we could be alone. I hadn't seen my dad since I moved out at 18. He had been accepting, but he still felt uncomfortable speaking of my sexuality. My mother, before she died, had been the one to be there for me when I truly needed her.

I looked toward him with surprise. "What are you doing here, Dad?"

"Kara called me." He said, standing there on the brink of tears. "You look stunning. You're mom would've been so proud of you."

"Are you proud of me, Dad?" I asked

He looked down at his feet, knowing exactly what I meant. "I used to be disappointed that you liked girls. I tried to accept you, but I failed and I made you feel bad, which was something I never wanted. The last time I saw you you were 18 and ran away from home. You called your mother all the time, but never asked for me. I just want to say I was a bigot and I have moved past those days. I just want you to be happy and I know your mother would too."

Just hearing those words brought tears to my eyes. I had been angry at him for 7 years and not once had he even tried to call me. Now that he finally apologized, I felt a weight lift from my heart. I ran forward and dug my face into his suit. He wrapped his arms around me as I wrapped my arms around him. I began to cry as he pulled back, wiping at my face.

"Don't cry yet. I don't want to be the reason your makeup gets ruined." He said as we both lightly laughed.

"I love you, Dad." I said with complete honesty.

"I love you too, Sweetie." He said, holding his arm out for me to grab. "Let's get you to that chapel."

I placed my arm in his and we walked into the main part of the church, blocked from the chapel by a set of doors. Everyone was inside and waiting, my anxiety causing my hands to shake. I was nervous, but also excited, so I calmed my breathing and focused on my excitement. The music played and two men opened the double doors.

My dad held my arm as we walked down the aisle. My friends and people I so dearly cherished stood in the pews around me. I tried to look forward so I wouldn't start happy crying again, but then I saw Brainy and he waved. I lightly waved back with a smile. The chapel around me was like nothing I had ever seen.

It glittered in the sunlight as if I was in a winter wonderland. Plus the music danced off the walls like a symphony was in the room. Yet the most beautiful was Kara herself, standing at the front in a dress made for a goddess. It was covered in sparkly beads, making hearts and flowers. Her dress was strapless and oh so perfect, just seeing her made begin to cry all over again.

I made it to the altar as my dad gave me a tight hug before taking his seat. I hugged him and then grabbed Kara's hand as we faced each other. The music stopped, people sat down, and the priest began to speak.

He cleared his throat and began, "Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here today in the presence of these witnesses, to join Kara Danvers and Carly Matthews in matrimony commended to be honorable among all. Their time together, they have seen their love and understanding of each other grow and blossom and now they have decided to live out the rest of their lives as one. If any person can show just cause why they may not be joined together - let them speak now or forever hold their peace."

The room was dead silent as we smiled at one another. When no one spoke the priest continued. "Do you Carly Matthews take Kara Danvers to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I, Carly Matthews, take Kara Danvers, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part." I cried

Then the priest asked the same of Kara and she replied in the same way. "I, Kara Danvers, take Carly Matthews, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part."

Alex stepped forward with the rings, glittering under the beautiful lights. Kara took my ring and slid it on my finger. "I Kara Danvers give you Carly Matthews this ring as an eternal symbol of my love and commitment to you."

Then I did the same with hers. Reciting the words and sliding the ring onto her hand. For the first time in years I was truly happy. Seeing Kara in that beautiful dress just made my heart soar. She was a goddess on earth and she thought I was good enough for her love and that still astounded me.

The priest looked at us both with a smile. "By the power vested in me by the State of New York, I now pronounce you wife and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

Kara grabs my face with her hands and pulls me in close. As our lips meet the crowd cheers, standing with loud claps. We continued to kiss as if no one else was watching. The world around us vanished and it was just me and Kara.

When we pulled back, we looked toward the group with a smile. Kara grabbed my hand and we ran down the aisle. Lex was still in the wind and we had no idea when he would strike, but for now everything was perfect. I finally got the girl and our love that could never happen, finally became a reality.


End file.
